Free Murder, She Wrote: Panning For Murder: Panning For Murder (Murder She Wrote) by Jessica Fletcher

Cabot Cove, Maine. I’m traveling with her. We’re hoping that by retracing Wilimena’s tracks, we might be able to find out what happened to her.”
     
     
    “My goodness, I really must scold Maynard. He missed that bit of information. He didn’t tell me that you and Wilimena’s sister were together.”
     
     
    I had to laugh. Along with the other benefits she mentioned of living aboard a luxury cruise ship, there was being in on the daily gossip.
     
     
    “Did you get to know Wilimena?” I asked, confident that she had.
     
     
    “Of course. I get to know almost everyone before a cruise ends.”
     
     
    “What was your impression of her?”
     
     
    She sat back, laced her fingers together, and sighed. “That is a very difficult question to answer. I liked her, of course. Wilimena was—she called herself Willie, you know—Willie was charming in her own way. I admired her verve and spirit. She was so full of life and eager for adventure.” She leaned closer. “She was about to become very wealthy, you know.”
     
     
    “From the gold.”
     
     
    “Yes. Poor thing. I don’t consider myself a fortune-teller, mind you, but I have this feeling that it was the gold that brought about her demise.”
     
     
    “Her demise? You think she’s dead?”
     
     
    “I assume she is. Otherwise she wouldn’t have disappeared like this. The way I see it, she was intercepted on her way to claim the gold by someone who knew about it and wanted it for himself. I suggested to her that she not talk about it so freely while on the ship, but she was giddy with anticipation. I suppose I can’t blame her. I’ve never had to worry about money, thanks to my dear, departed husband, Joseph. He was quite successful on Wall Street.”
     
     
    “I’m glad he left you without worry,” I said. “I understand Willie complained to the ship’s security officer about men making unwanted advances toward her.”
     
     
    “Officer Kale. Yes, Willie was bothered by some of the more crass men on board, but to be perfectly honest, Jessica, I’m afraid she invited such attention. She dressed in what can only be described as provocative clothing.” She wrinkled her nose and placed her fingers on my arm. “She was a little old for some of the outfits she chose.”
     
     
    I smiled. “She refused to acknowledge her age?”
     
     
    “Exactly.”
     
     
    “Did you happen to get to know any of the men who were attracted to her? The ones who made nuisances of themselves?”
     
     
    “Well, let me see,” she said, an index finger to her lips. “There was Maurice.”
     
     
    “Maurice?”
     
     
    “A Frenchman, but you knew that from the name. A shallow fellow, far too charming, in a Continental way, for my taste. He’s been on the ship before, a few times, actually. He has some connection with the cruise line. I never bothered to find out more. What’s the term I’m looking for? Smarmy. Yes, that’s it. He was smarmy. Let me see. There was John Sims, too. A lovely man. Wilimena flirted quite openly with him, which is why I was surprised when I heard that she’d complained about his making unappreciated advances.”
     
     
    I wondered if John Sims was the “flabbergasted” gentleman to whom Officer Kale had referred.
     
     
    “Do you know where Mr. Sims and Maurice came from? Where they live?”
     
     
    She made a sour face. “Maurice? Heavens, no. I had no interest in learning anything about him . But John gave me his card at the end of the cruise. I have it here in my purse.” She retrieved it and handed it to me. “John was a true gentleman, and I can assure you that he had nothing to do with Ms. Copeland’s disappearance. My goodness, he’s old enough to be her father— eighty if he’s a day. I think he found it amusing that Ms. Copeland showed such interest in him. Flattered, I suppose, until she complained that he was making advances at her . He stayed clear of her for the duration of the cruise,