Wordzzle 77 - A pair will do

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The Ten Word Challenge: blind panic, apartment, fleas, soap operas, Cajun cooking, free and easy, legal, sangria, public school, new

The mini challenge: class, calendar, keeping secrets, boring, fashion

This Week's Episode: Let's Make a Deal


Charlotte received two unexpected pieces of bad news on Monday morning.

The first was contained in a small article on page 5 of the L.A. Times. It concerned a fatal two car accident on Getty Center Drive in which the occupants of the smaller vehicle ( a Honda Civic) walked away unscathed and the driver of the much larger SUV was killed. Charlotte couldn't believe the luck of the McCools or the incompetence of the hired help. Obviously the people she had hired (who came with references and were highly recommended) were not of a class necessary to take out a retired cop and his wife. She would have to resort to other more expensive means.

The second bit of bad news was at first very troubling till she learned the reason for the situation. She'd gotten a call on Monday morning from a representative of Prince Akim telling her the Prince and Princess had unfortunately been called back to Saudi Arabia due to a family emergency. She was unable to get any more from the assistant, as he was paid well for keeping secrets about the royal family. He did tell her she would hear from the Prince later in the day. While waiting for the call she did some detective work of her own and found out the Prince's favorite granddaughter had been in an auto accident in Europe. The royal couple had flown out immediately to oversee her care and bring her back to Saudi Arabia.

By the time the Prince's call came in the afternoon Charlotte had finished all the boring details involved in rescheduling the contract signing. In her typical almost OCD fashion she'd prepared, she thought, for any outcome short of canceling the deal. In this she was to be surprised once again, but this time somewhat pleasantly so. The Prince apologized profusely for the delay, told her about his granddaughter and suggested she fly to the Mid-East at his expense on his official jet to sign the deal and take care of the legal matters necessary to conclude the contract signing in his country. He hinted that there might be the occasion for a quick introduction to his Uncle the King while she was there.

Charlotte demurred at first, telling the Prince she would need to look at her calendar for the coming week and get right back to him. In truth she knew of no impediment to going, but didn't want to sound too anxious. Charlotte took a half an hour to adjust to this new turn of events; thinking her life at times seemed like the soap operas her long dead mother so loved. "What was the point Mom?" she wondered. "While you were watching "Days of Our Lives", I was being gang raped in my High School" she continued. "Now my life is more real and exciting than anything those boobs that produced your favorite show could have thought of" she finished to herself. This would be the inverse of the old saw he father had used when telling her to be careful of her friends in school. "If you lie down with dogs you'll surely get fleas" he quoted to her. Well, it looked like Charlotte was going to hobnob with Kings and Queens instead, didn't it? The faux Ms. Vignoire called the Prince back and said she'd been able to reschedule her commitments for the week and would be delighted. The Prince gave her instructions to meet the plane that afternoon at LAX.

"She's coming to us" the Prince said to his wife. The Princess looked at the note Jean had passed her and the e-mail she'd received concerning the attempt on the McCool's lives. "We will find out who this woman really is, won't we dear?" she asked. "Yes beloved, our friends in Kuwait will see to that" he answered.

Martin/Mike and Jane disembarked at LAX. The flight from Manaus had been long but uneventful. Both were glad to be back in the US and yet doubtful of their safety and security in their home country. Sgt Johnson met them at the gate. He'd been surprised to hear from Martin, amazed at what he had to say and then delighted to learn who his companion Jane was and the relationship to his suspect Constance/Connie/Charlotte. As they walked away from the gate and looked out at the tarmac the Royal Saudi plane got their attention. The group watched a striking redhead board the jet. Martin and Jane just looked at each other and laughed.

"Well we won't be running from her in a blind panic for a while will we?" Martin asked. "Not if that jet is going home we won't" Jane smiled back. Johnson had watched with the pair and asked them what they had seen. They explained that the woman who they'd witnessed boarding the airplane was the one who had been looking for Jane and the very same woman that Martin saw at Hollingsworth's house. Johnson couldn't believe it. If what the couple thought was true, his prime suspect was this very minute leaving the country for parts unknown.

Sgt Johnson pulled out his cell phone and dialed the tower. He identified himself and asked for the flight plan of the Royal Saudi aircraft. He thanked the tower and rung off. Then he called the McCool's. When Thomas answered Johnson asked "Any reason the Prince is taking our suspect to Kuwait?" he asked. "Not quite sure about that" McCool answered, "but we received a request for the DNA map of Constance Lawler from the Saudi authorities this morning" he answered. "The captain called me before we boarded for the flight back to Laughlin" he finished. Johnson hung up with McCool and then turned back to Martin and Jane. "Let's get you two to our West Coast headquarters and take your statements" he said. While they made their way to the waiting Suburban he wondered if he would see his suspect again.

Dan and Carla picked up the McCools at the Laughlin airport. The four went back to Thomas and Jean's rented Condo (really nothing more than an apartment) and settled in for updating each other on events in the case. Though they'd been in contact by phone and e-mail all along it was always better to talk face to face when brain storming about murder, evidence, motives and the like.

Thomas made Sangria to go with the Cajun cooking the group had decided on, though his public school upbringing made him think beer would have been sufficient. It mattered little to him because the lifestyle that Jean and he lived was very free and easy. The conversation turned to the latest news. the group discussed Johnson's finding Martin and Jane, the attempt on the McCool's and the sudden departure of Charlotte Vignoire on the Saudi jet. There was no consensus on what that meant and until the Prince contacted them it was out of their hands.

Carla stated "Boy I'd like to be a fly on the wall in that jet". They discussed the matter some more and all wondered what was happening in the Saudi airplane.

Charlotte knew exactly what was going on. The crew had been instructed to treat her as royalty. She was the only passenger and every need was to be met. She reviewed the menu for dinner and chose the caviar, lamb, and a vintage wine. The meal had been excellent though after eating she felt somewhat ill. She felt almost as though she was airsick. She found the airsick bag in front of her seat just in time as she vomited violently into the bag. The attendant rushed to her aid taking the offending bag at once.


Tamir al Satar was doing well playing a royal Saudi flight attendant. In spite of ten years in the Saudi Secret service and 5 before that in the army special ops branch, he was always up for the royal family's special assignments. This had been one of the easiest. Just make the lady puke into a bag, put the contents in a special machine or more what looked like a series of highly miniaturized lab machines at the rear of the plane and set the equipment to send the results to the kingdom. This he had accomplished with ease. He awaited the outcome of the tests.

The pilot of the aircraft in question was wondering why he'd been assigned this flight. The plane had been worked on all Sunday and part of Monday morning to modify the rear compartment. He was told it was testing equipment and that a subject would be brought aboard. Little else was known to him other than 1/2 of his flight crew was now Saudi Secret service. Well, the pay was good and he'd spent two wonderful days in the land of the infidel doing what all the faithful did when they came to America; namely everything they couldn't do at home. In a little while he would hear if he was to continue to Kuwait or divert to Riyadh. It could get interesting from there on in.

RT