“Anything amiss in the house? Had it been searched?”
“Not that we could see. Mrs. Pepper keeps a neat house, and if it was searched, it was done by experts.”
Lance was quiet for a moment. “All right, there’s nothing more you can do tonight; get some sleep.”
“Lance, if the place is bugged and that’s why the police came, then the police must have them.”
“And that would mean Colonel Croft,” Lance said. “Not a pretty situation.”
“What are you going to do?”
“There’s not much I can do tonight. I have to contrive some plausible story so that I can get the embassy on it.”
“How about Bill’s sister asked me to look in on him, and when I did, I found what I found. I could call the embassy and talk to the duty officer.”
“You do that, and I’ll call our man in the embassy, too. Tell the duty officer you want him to call the local police and report them missing, and he should ask them if they have any knowledge of the Peppers’ whereabouts. Call from your room, so the listeners will know what you’re doing. Let’s see what kind of reaction you get. Call me back in the morning, as usual.”
“Right,” Holly said. She punched off the phone, went inside and picked up the phone. “I think something’s wrong,” she said loudly. “I’m calling the embassy.” She started dialing.
32
The phone rang half a dozen times before someone picked up. “United States Embassy,” a sleepy male voice said.
“May I speak to the duty officer, please?” Holly replied.
“I’m the duty officer; my name is James Tiptree. May I have your name?”
“My name is Virginia Heller; I want to report an American citizen missing on St. Marks.”
“Have you called the police?”
“I’d rather not become involved with the police. I would much prefer it if you would speak to them.”
“What is the citizen’s name?”
“Two people: Mr. and Mrs. William Pepper. He works for one of the offshore Internet casinos on the island; I don’t know which one.”
“I know the Peppers,” Tiptree said. “The American community on the island is fairly small. Why do you think Bill and Annie are missing?”
“Bill’s sister is a friend of mine, and I promised to call him while I’m here. When I couldn’t get Bill on the phone, my friend and I went to his home. Lights were on, and food had been cooking on the stove, but the stove had been turned off. Nothing else in the house seemed amiss, but as soon as we left we saw a police car coming from the direction of Markstown, and it turned into the Peppers’ driveway.”
“Did you have any interaction with the police?”
“No, and I don’t think they noticed us.”
“What is your business on the island?”
“I’m a tourist, staying at the English Harbour Inn, with three friends.”
“I know it well.”
Holly heard a phone ring on the other end of the line.
“Please hold on; I have to answer another call.” He put her on hold for a good five minutes, then came back on the line.
“That was another acquaintance of mine in the States with the same news,” Tiptree said. “I understand your position now; I’ll contact the Markstown police and report the Peppers missing, and then I’ll call Colonel Croft at home and get him out of bed, if I have to.”
“That’s great news,” Holly said.