Tea Is For Terror Read online

  Tell Ruth that soon I’ll be a world traveler in her league – I hope.

  Love, Claire

  * * *

  “Here, Claire. We have room for you.” Mary Pederson waved.

  “I was afraid I’d miss the boat.” Claire was a little out of breath from rushing. “I took the bus and misjudged how long it would take to get here.” She moved through the crowded barge and sat where Mary indicated, nodding to others as she went past. “Did everyone have a good morning? I went to Westminster Abbey this morning. They were having a service so I just had to stay.”

  “We went over to the Speaker’s corner in Hyde Park. It was great. John, you would have loved it. Anyone with a box to stand on gets up and talks. People stand around and listen, or argue with the speaker, or just walk away,” Joan enthused. The Pederson’s and the Sorini’s were close friends and when John Pederson insisted he and his wife, Mary, take this trip instead of taking the kids somewhere, the Sorini’s decided to come too.

  “Uh, uh. Not if I had to get up to do it. I needed that time in bed.” He glanced meaningfully at his wife. Mary blushed, a tiny smile hovering on her lips.

  “John, you dog.” Tom lifted his head from the eyepiece of his video camera and shook his head, an expression of admiration on his face.

  “Leave them alone, Tom,” his wife scolded him. “Not everyone feels the need to be up and out at the crack of dawn.”

  “What did you all do yesterday?” Claire tactfully changed the subject.

  Mary smiled. “Glenda Martinez talked us into going to the Tea Dance at the Dorchester. You know they use to have one at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco but I never went to it. This was truly elegant. They had an orchestra playing music from the 40’s and 50’s. And tuxedo clad waiters, with white gloves served the tea, and heaps of tiny sandwiches, and plates of pretty little cakes. They just kept bringing them so we just kept eating them. And then we danced and then we ate more. It was wonderful, wasn’t it?”

  Even the men agreed.

  “It was so romantic and almost decadent. You know, all that culture out there to see and we’re acting like we’re in an old Cary Grant movie,” Joan offered.

  “Well, it was perfect. Glenda was right. It was just the way to start a trip to England. It kind of established a standard, you know?” Mary looked younger today, happy. Obviously she had stopped feeling guilty about leaving her kids behind.

  “I’m so sorry Lucy couldn’t come. This is going to be a great trip.” Joan swept her hand around the packed barge, which was just angling out from its dock. “And, I notice everyone made the boat.”

  Arnie, sitting across the aisle, turned towards them. “Look this way so I can get your picture. Tom, just keep filming. That’s perfect. Great!” Arnie smiled happily. “I’m so glad you let me join the tour, Claire. Really! This barge trip is great. I’ve never even heard of it before and I’ve listened to my friends talk about their trips for years.” He looked around at the tour members scattered amongst the other passengers. “No wonder everyone made it. I, for one don’t intend to miss any of the events Lucy suggested for us. Of course, I want to do some of the normal tourist things but this is what will make this trip.”

  “Yes, at the next cocktail party I’ll say, “What? You’ve never taken the canal barge to Camden Market? My dear, you simply haven’t seen London at all.” Everyone laughed at Joan’s droll voice.

  Arnie turned back to the sisters, Terri and Shar, sitting on the other side of him, explaining what caused the laughter. Then the barge was moving down the narrow canal. They all felt a bit like voyeurs, peeking in the back windows of the rich and poor, the grand and crumbling buildings, the picturesque gardens of St. John’s Woods and then into the Regency Park Zoo. They passed barges converted to homes, tied up at the banks, festooned with flowerpots, bicycles, and dogs. They could imagine themselves back in time when the canals moved the major goods throughout England. They became immersed in a time when whole families lived, worked, and died on the barges they carted goods on. And, far too soon, they disembarked before the barge moved into the complicated Camden Locks.

  Claire stood there to watch the barges, trapped in place while the bargemen raised and lowered the waters to move them to the next section of canal. Claire was fascinated by the skill and apparent ease the men demonstrated to complete what must be backbreaking labor. When she finally turned back to the bustling street market she saw most of their tour group had been swallowed in the crowd.

  “Hey, Rosa. How’s it going for you?” Claire caught up with her, feeling a little guilty for not checking with her earlier.

  “I’ve confirmed most of the data I needed yesterday afternoon so I thought I’d join the group on this trip.” Rosa sounded a little defensive.

  “Well, of course, Lucy means you to participate. After all, that’s what she would do and you’re her stand in. I just wanted to see if you needed some help. If you do, I hope you’ll let me know.”

  Rosa made a grimace as she jerked her head toward Liz, who Claire saw was headed their way. “Don’t worry. I have more help than I’ll ever need. She’s driving me crazy.”

  “Oh, Rosa, still?” Claire gave Rosa an empathic nod and murmured, “I’ll try.” She turned as Liz joined them.

  “Oh, Liz. Good! I need some help and you’re just the person.” She took Liz’s arm firmly turning her toward the packed streets, ignoring her struggle to resist, confiding warmly, “Lucy told me about a place out here that makes wonderful sofa pillows out of antique rugs and draperies. I think I need to look at them for the reading alcove at the shop. What do you think?”

  She managed to keep the reluctant Liz with her until they found and selected four attractive pillows. But while Claire was making arrangements to have her purchases shipped, Liz escaped. Actually, Claire wasn’t inclined to look for her. She thought the chances of Liz finding Rosa in the ever-changing thong of vendors and shoppers was as remote as her chance to find Liz. And she didn’t intend to ruin her day by spending it with Liz.

  She had done her duty and now she was free to wander at will. It was an eclectic crowd, snatches of conversations in various languages drifted around her. Even the words she understood had a different sound, making the market seem just that much more exotic.

  Couples with arms about each other debated where to lunch. Families were trying to keep track of their children, young teenagers were darting in packs, giggling and flirting with each other. The older youths glided like panthers, cigarettes dangling from tight lips, with orange, purple, and green hairstyles. Tattoos vied with rings piercing a variety of body parts that made Claire shudder to see, while their eyes darted slyly to make sure everyone noticed how cool they were.

  Claire paused over a display of brass lapel pins offered by a young artist. The artist used old greeting card motifs that he cast in brass and the results were so unique she couldn’t choose a favorite, ending up by buying three before tearing herself away. And she couldn’t resist trying a hot meat pie. She strolled on nibbling at the flaky crust, careful not to lose a crumb. She caught up to Kim Whaley and Annie Houghton sorting through vintage clothes in a crowded stall. She gladly joined them and when they left, each of the three had a naval uniform jacket affixed with gold braid and brass buttons they were delighted with. And the price was a steal.

  Arnie White and Betty Brown caught up with them as they headed towards the Tube Station. They compared purchases and lunches, already speculating about the evening ahead.

  “Oh, oh, this doesn’t look good.” Kim said what they were all thinking.

  They came to halt in front of Rosa, a thunderous expression on her face as she glared at Liz, whose righteous look, as everyone was already learning, meant trouble. Warren was trying to placate Rosa, his face red with effort. But Claire could see it wasn’t working.

  “I don’t want my picture taken. Liz knows that. I’ve explained it before. It is part of my religion. She did it on purpose. She obviously doesn’t respec
t my beliefs. I want the film.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I have all kinds of pictures on this film. I’m not going to throw away a record of the trip just because you think I took your picture. I told you I didn’t even see you. I was taking a picture of the street scene. You’re probably not even in it.”

  Rosa shook her head. “I saw you sneaking up on me. I want that film.”

  “Liz,” Claire said with exasperation. “You know how Rosa feels. She explained it to all of us. We all agreed to respect her wishes. How could you?”

  “I didn’t. I was taking a picture of the street and I swung my camera around trying to get just the right composition. I didn’t even see Rosa and her boyfriend until after I snapped the picture. I don’t think she’s even in it.”

  Liz didn’t want to budge but, seeing Claire’s expression and then looking at the rest of the group, she sighed and gave in.

  “All right. All right. I don’t think I got her but when I get them developed if she is in the picture, I’ll destroy it and the negative, no matter how good the picture is. Okay? Will that satisfy everyone?”

  It clearly didn’t satisfy Rosa but, with everyone approving the compromise, she grudgingly agreed. Arnie and Warren moved off with Rosa, leaving Liz to join the others.

  “So, what boyfriend?” Claire heard Betty ask Liz.

  “Never saw him before but it certainly looked as if they knew each other. As soon as she saw me she said something and he just disappeared into the crowd.”

  “Well, who would have thought it of Rosa,” Annie said to Kim. “You and I were all dolled up last night looking for romance and Rosa finds it in a street market. We better keep an eye on her. We might get some tips.”

  “Come on ladies. I’m sure it was just a harmless encounter.” Claire interjected commonsense into the conversation. “Rosa’s never even been to England before. If it was someone she knew she’d be so surprised at the coincidence she’d be telling us all about it.”

  That made so much sense they didn’t pursue the issue. When Betty reminded them of the time, the incident was forgotten. They still had to get ready for the evening’s activities.

  CHAPTER

  THREE

  “All right, Fenster. What’s going on? I was scheduled to tee off at noon, so this better be good.”

  Fenster nodded. His boss was an avid golfer and this assignment in London, the last in a long illustrious career, seemed to be his preparation for retirement in Florida. But even though he was currently a short-timer, Fenster knew better than to regard him as less than the professional he was.

  “I’m sorry but I felt you needed to hear about this one, sir. The Brits picked up some hints that something big was coming down. They have been working on it, but were unable to pin anything down until this showed up.”

  He put a facsimile of the brochure for the Lucy Springer Untour on the desk.

  Fenster waited, suppressing his impatience while his boss scrutinized the brochure as if he was considering signing on. It was this attention to detail that had made him so successful over the course of his career.

  When Fenster saw Horace Ames was nearing the end, he slipped the list of tour members on the immaculate desk.

  “This is a very preliminary list of the tour group. We have our people in the States working on full background checks but so far they appear to be a pretty mundane group of Americans. Just about what you’d expect.” He stopped abruptly, swallowing uneasily under Ames’ piercing look.

  “If this is such a mundane group, why are we even interested?”

  Horace Ames was sharp. And tough. Everyone agreed there. It was hard keeping up with him, say nothing about being ahead of him. And to add to the difficultly of working with him was the name thing. It was hardly appropriate to call him Ames, as they referred to him amongst themselves, and Horace was unthinkable. Fenster often wondered what kind of parent would name a baby Horace? And what Ames would have been like if he had been named Bob or Dave or Scott? He took the safe road whenever he had to deal with him directly, using his military background as an excuse to call him sir, even though his seniority and long relationship with Ames probably meant he could have gotten away with calling him by his first name.

  “Of course, of course. Someone, somewhere has some interest in them and so perhaps they are not what they appear to be.”

  Fenster watched Ames scan the list, then say, “Okay, tell me what we know about each of them.”

  Fenster started with Lucy Springer, explaining she was a well-known and nationally recognized author of travel books. She frequently lectured and even, on occasion, appeared on TV talk shows. But as it turned out, she wasn’t even with the group. That seemed suspicious but proved to be nothing more than an accident. There was no doubt that her leg was broken. He had a copy of the X-ray. Lucy, herself, turned out to be their main source of information about the other tour members. They interviewed her extensively under the guise of writing publicity about the tour for her publisher.

  Claire Gulliver played a key role in the tour and was known personally to Lucy, and as it turned out, she was also well-known to the San Francisco Police Department. It seems her father had been one of their own. He was a police sergeant, but was killed in the line of duty when she was six. She was raised conservatively by a cautious mother, understandable given her experience in life. A few years back Claire had somehow gotten involved in a major drug deal when she did a favor for one of her mother’s friends. Not only had she been resourceful enough to escape with her life, but ultimately, she had been instrumental in assisting the police crack the case. The police captain recounted the story with as much pride as if she had been his own kid, albeit well past the kid age. She had been the neighborhood librarian until, after her involvement in the drug deal, she had moved to the Peninsula and opened Gulliver’s Travels Bookshop. Nothing seemed very sinister there.

  Glenda and Alex Martinez have been married forty years and never been out of the country unless you count their one trip to Victoria. Alex works for a large insurance agency and is planning to retire soon. Glenda is a full-time grandmother and a part-time bookkeeper for a large real estate broker.

  Mrs. Maureen Maus is a spry seventy-eight. She first nursed her mother, then her ailing husband. He died last year leaving her with lots of time and no responsibilities.

  She volunteers at the Senior Center, serving lunches to those seniors younger in years but older in expectations.

  Liz Cooley has never been married. She is somewhere in her fifties – it was hard to obtain information about her. Many people knew her father, who she assisted until his death a couple of years ago, but no one knew anything about her, describing instead her father and his accomplishments.

  Fenster hadn’t yet obtained her exact birth date, but he would get it from her passport records shortly. According to his notes, Liz looks, and apparently acts, like a character out of a Victorian novel.

  Mrs. Teresa (Teri) Bouten and Mrs. Sharon (Shar) Waldoe are sisters, Teri widowed and Shar divorced. Lucy said they were in their fifties, but their driving records disclosed their ages to be ten years older. Lying about their ages is hardly criminal. They grew up in a large, close family in Southern California but spent their adult lives five hundred miles apart. Now that their families have grown and become independent, they have grown closer to each other again. This is the first trip they’re taking together.

  Annie Houghton is a paralegal for a fast growing computer software company. The money is great, the work exciting but the backlog of contracts to produce and approve is overwhelming. It’s difficult to take time for a vacation. But Annie needs it and she has accumulated so much vacation time the Human Resources Department at her company has warned her she may lose it if she doesn’t take it. She isn’t about to let that happen. This tour was the answer.

  Kim Whaley is in her late twenties and has limited time and money but her friend, Annie Houghton, talked her into using a small inheritance she received to fina
nce this trip.

  Fenster had little suspicion of either of these girls. Their pasts were very easy to piece together.

  Vern Higbee teaches literature at the State University. He is in his late forties, a natty dresser, very conservative, perhaps even prudish, and he is gay. He never came out of the closet, as he has been very open about his preferences. When he realized he was different than others in his Midwest home he moved to San Francisco where he fit in comfortably. He and Mike Joseph have been a devoted couple for over fifteen years and their decision to move to the Peninsula, just before the AIDS epidemic reached full swing, was fortunate.

  Mike Joseph is a CPA in the San Francisco Offices of a major accounting firm. He looks twenty years younger than Vern but isn’t. He attributes his youthfulness to his workout schedule and Vern’s cooking. They have wanted to travel overseas but somehow never got around to it. So when Lucy Springer announced she would be taking a group with her to finalize her next book, he and Vern were the first to sign up.

  Alice Jones is in her forties. She’s been divorced for ten years and is a close friend of Vern and Mike, since she was their neighbor when they all lived in the city. She works in a major California Bank and has somehow survived the reorganizations and downsizings that have been going on for the last several years. Lucy reported that Alice decided life was too uncertain to wait for retirement to travel. She was going to do it now and every chance she got.

  John and Mary Pederson are in their thirties. John insisted on this trip, while Mary wanted a family trip to Hawaii. John was quoted as saying that for eleven years they have always taken the kids. It’s time to treat themselves to adult entertainment. His wife reluctantly agreed. After all, John worked so hard to finally make manager of one of the huge local supermarkets, she felt he deserved this trip. The children are staying with John’s parents so there is really nothing to worry about. But Mary feels guilty about leaving them.