The Serpent and the Scorpion by Clare Langley-Hawthorne Page B

got a death wish?” she exclaimed. “You just about gave us all a heart attack!”
    “Saw you with Whittaker and his party,” Hugh commented, ignoring her concern. “Bit of a surprise.”
    “Well, it wasn’t by choice, I can tell you,” Ursula retorted. “That man’s like a bad penny—always turning up when you least expect or want.”
    Hugh straightened up, pulled out a handkerchief from his trouser pocket, and wiped his hands. “So, I’m guessing this isn’t a social call.”
    “No, it isn’t. I wanted to ask you something—now that Whittaker and his party have finally left.”
    “Oh?” Hugh ran his fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair, sending dust into the air.
    “Yes, I overheard you and Whittaker talking last night.”
    “That’s unfortunate. But no need to worry, sweetheart, I’m not about to start any rumors about us.”
    “As if I should think you would,” Ursula retorted. “Whittaker’s an idiot.”
    “Whittaker may be a lot of things, but an idiot isn’t one of them.”
    Ursula shielded her eyes against the sun. It was barely spring, yet she was already perspiring beneath the sun’s glare.
    “So I see you suspect, like I do, that things are not what they seem.”
    Hugh gazed out across the expanse of sand. To the west the retreating figures of Whittaker and his party gave him pause.
    “I’m not sure what I think, and that’s the truth.”
    “But you don’t believe that Katya’s death was political, do you?”
    Hugh did not reply.
    Ursula crossed her arms. She wanted to delve deeper and understand what Hugh was keeping from her. Ever since Katya’s death, he had been distant and distracted. “Remember that night in Alexandria,” she started, trying to introduce the subject as delicately as she could, “at Khedive Abbas Hilmi’s cocktail party? Katya wanted to leave early, because of something Peter Vilensky said. Do you remember?”
    Hugh kicked the sand and nodded.
    “Well, I noticed you went after her. I was talking to Eugenie Mahfouz, but I could tell Peter was angry, yet he made no attempt to follow you.”
    “It was nothing. Katya was upset, that’s all.”
    Ursula regarded him closely. “I think there was something else, something she told you.” Hugh kicked his shoe in the sand again. “No, don’t try and shrug it off, Hugh! Ever since then, there was a change in your relationship with Katya. I’m just not sure what it was—”
    “How do you know it wasn’t what everyone else thought—simply an affair?”
    “I think I know you better than that,” Ursula replied simply. “And despite her husband’s suspicions, I know Katya loved him. So I never believed the rumors. I do, however, think you found something out that night.”
    Hugh ran his hands along the frame of the airplane, avoiding her gaze.
    “Can’t you tell me what it was?” Ursula pleaded. “All I want is to find out what really happened. To understand why Katya died. She was a good friend, even though I didn’t know her long. Don’t you think I owe it to her to find out the truth?”
    “You don’t owe her anything.”
    “But—”
    “No, let me finish. This isn’t something you can get involved in. All I know is that anyone associated with Katya has to be very careful. I suspect my copilot was not, and that was why he died. I don’t think it was an accident, any more than I think that Katya was the victim of political extremists. But I’m going to keep my suspicions to myself, because I don’t want to involve you in whatever mess Katya found herself in. No, Ursula, I’m serious—I think that as long as we leave well alone, we’ll be okay. But if we start snooping—well, I consider Whittaker’s words last night a warning. Vilensky is a powerful man. We’d do best not to cross him.”
    Ursula opened her mouth to speak, but when she saw the look on Hugh’s face, she changed her mind. “You’re really worried, aren’t you?” she said quietly.
    Hugh made no reply. He