Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist by M. C. Beaton

sleeping.
    "I know," said James quietly.
    Well, I probably won't see Charles again, thought Agatha, and then fell asleep.
    James watched her for a moment and then went to the car and got a straw hat which he placed gently over her sleeping face.
    When they returned to the villa, the press had gone. "There's a news in English about now," said James. "Let's see if there's anything about the murder."
    The local TV station was usually long on words spoken in badly accented English by some pretty newscaster and short on pictures. But to Agatha's amazement they had pictures this time--of a press conference at The Dome. Lined up behind a table were Olivia, George, Harry, Angus and Trevor.
    Trevor, unlike his usual taciturn self, gave an emotional and heart-broken plea to the people of north Cyprus to help the police discover who had murdered his precious wife, Rose. He then relapsed into noisy sobs.
    Olivia then took over, Olivia in a simple black gown and pearls and with her face as cunningly made up into a mask of grief as that of Princess Di's during her famous Panorama interview. With the sharp eyes of pure jealousy, Agatha took in the pale make-up, the carefully arranged wispy hair-style and the shadows painted under the eyes.
    With a break in her voice, lowered a register, Olivia said she had only known Rose a short time but they had become firm friends. "She was so full of life," said Olivia, "and to see such a life snuffed out is a tragedy."
    Angus then put in his bit in an accent so broadly Scottish it was almost unintelligible. He said Rose was a "puir wee broken burdie."
    "Pass the sick-bag," snarled Agatha.
    "Shh!" admonished James, turning up the volume. George spoke next, in a gruff, embarrassed voice about how they all missed Rose. Only Harry Tembleton remained silent.
    "And now the weather," said the newscaster.
    "I wonder when that conference was," said James. "I mean, if they were all at a press conference they could hardly be up at Saint Hilarion trying to push you out of a window. Let's go and find out."
    "They might have told us what they were up to," complained Agatha.
    "They could hardly do that as we haven't seen them. Let's go."
    When they arrived in The Dome, the manager approached them and said, "I have a fax for you, Mrs. Raisin.
    "Now we'll find out all about them," said Agatha excitedly.
    But the fax from Bill Wong said only, "Call me at my home number."
    "Rats," said Agatha.
    "I see his point," said James. "Forget about here for the moment. We'd best get back and phone." He turned to the manager. "When was that press conference here--about the murder?"
    "At four-thirty this afternoon." That let no one out. The attack at Saint Hilarion had been at one o'clock.
    "Can't we phone from here?" Agatha asked James.
    "Yes, but too expensive."
    Back they went to the villa. "It's early over there," said James as he picked up the phone. "There's two hours' difference. What's the number?"
    Agatha fished a small leather-bound book out of her handbag and then took the phone from James. "He's my friend," she said. "I'll phone."
    Mrs. Wong answered. "My Bill's just dropped in is having a cup of tea. You'll need to call back."
    "I'm phoning from Cyprus," howled Agatha.
    Fortunately the receiver at the other end was taken from Mrs. Wong and Bill's voice came on the line. "You can't keep away from murder, can you?" he said cheerfully.
    "Oh, Bill," said Agatha thankfully, "did you get anything on any of them?"
    "I shouldn't be doing this," he said, "and don't you ever let anyone know where you got your information from. Here goes."
    James paced up and down impatiently as Agatha listened and took notes. Then Agatha finally said, "Well, thanks a lot. That's given me something to think about. No, I won't get into trouble. Yes, I found James. He's here. What? No, no, no."
    James wondered what that no, no, no had been in answer to.
    Agatha finally rang off and turned and looked triumphantly at James. She began to tell him what