Side Trip to Kathmandu (A Sidney Marsh Murder Mystery Book 3) by Marie Moore Read Free Book Online Page A

seemed an impossible task, especially since Brooke hadn’t yet explained what had happened to make her suspect them.
    I looked my new friends over as carefully as I could without appearing to stare. There was Adam, the interesting green-eyed Scot; Jasmine, the beautiful Indian movie star; Lucy, the tiny blonde expat Englishwoman; big Felix, also a Brit, who was unpleasant but hardly struck me as criminal; and Justin, the slim, clever Frenchman. Some were more attractive than others, but none seemed capable of the horrendous acts Brooke had described. Each appeared to be a normal, ordinary person just like Jay and me. Except, of course, that they were all extremely wealthy and we were definitely not. I intended to talk with Brooke further, as soon as I could, to learn more about her reasoning and the facts that led her to such a startling conviction.
    “Please follow me now,” Dave said finally, “as we enter the inner sanctum of the great Khan. The public was not allowed past these gates. This inner court was only for his personal pleasure and that of his courtiers, family and trusted advisors. Here we will see the Hall of Private Audience, once the location of the fabled Peacock Throne, the ruler’s private mosque, and his harem.”
    Adam put his arm around Jasmine’s shoulders and whispered something in her ear as we passed beneath the arch and through the gate. She threw her head back and laughed, smiling up at him with her amber eyes flashing and raven hair swirling in the breeze.
    Jasmine was nationally known as a minor Bollywood film star. People stared at her in the streets because of her fame and beauty and sometimes called out her name. Born to a poor family in a small village in the Kerala region of India, she had moved to Mumbai and gained fame and fortune in the film industry. Or so Mohit had told me after dinner.
    “He’s invited her to join his harem,” Jay whispered in my ear. “Bet you wish it was you instead.”
    I gave him a sharp look but didn’t answer. He would hear from me later. Jay’s favorite pastime is teasing me, and on this subject he was getting on my last nerve, as my cousin Earline would say.

 
    Chapter 7
    T here were few takers on Brooke’s offer of private cars to the upscale Khan Market or a return to the Chandni Chowk after a lavish lunch of South Indian specialties. Only two cars were going from the hotel. All our fellow guests had visited New Delhi numerous times before and half of the group preferred to make other plans for the afternoon. Following the ten-boy curry lunch I suspected that those plans were only for a nap or a swim. Jay had informed me that the term “ten boy” means ten courses, each served by a different “boy” or waiter. In other words, a really large lunch.
    Lucy, Felix, Brooke, Jay and I met in the lobby at 1:30. All chose the Chandni Chowk over the more modern Khan Market. Touristy as it is, browsing the Chandni Chowk is far more interesting than upscale shopping, and my fellow travelers already had all the luxury goods they could ever want. Jay loves designer things, of course, but only when they can be had at a bargain, so even he was content to skip the high-priced Khan Market in favor of the ancient bazaar.
    Located in the heart of Old Delhi, across from Red Fort, the Chandni Chowk has crowded, twisting alleys that lead into the Khari Baoli, the main spice market. Goods of every sort, from tawdry trinkets to treasure, are there to be haggled over. Brass, silver, silk, linens, jewelry, cooking pots, herbal medicines, live chickens, all are crammed into the tiny shops. Jay and I were confident that the colorful sights, sounds, and aromas would transport us far from our normal shopping experience. We could hardly wait to get there. Even back in New York we had been excited about the prospect of power shopping in the old city.
    But first, we were given a long car ride and the lowdown on our fellow guests by Brooke.
    As the drivers stood at attention