victims,” Rahal elaborated. “Male, female, or both?”
“Male,” Key answered, again glad that Daniels hadn’t come along. He probably would have, in his standard operating chauvinism, asked if that was important. Gonzales knew, like Key did, that it might be.
“Do you have any possibilities that—” she started, but then the trio was surprised by a fourth voice.
“Assistant Professor Rahal?”
The three behind the desk looked up, Gonzales cursing himself for not maintaining his self-appointed lookout responsibility. It was a student, holding his books, looking at them all both expectantly as well as regretfully.
Rahal recovered briskly. “Yes, Malik?”
The student looked sheepish. “We had a meeting about my grades,” he said. “I’m sorry again that I had to schedule it so late in the day, but my make-up classes—”
“Of course, of course,” Rahal said apologetically. She raised her right hand and the chart rolled up to her left hand. “Yes, your graduation depends upon it, doesn’t it?”
The comment was for Key and Gonzales’s benefit, letting them know that she would not have truncated their talk if it wasn’t important. But she seemed to know that a young man’s future might be null and void if the problem Key was chasing wasn’t solved.
As she started to follow the student out she quickly returned her attention to Key. “Where are you staying?” she whispered urgently.
“The Five Centses Restort,” Gonzales answered, having to enunciate the unusual name carefully, and Key didn’t miss the way Rahal’s eyebrows raised in response. “Staff Suite Two-A.”
“I will be there as soon as possible,” she assured them. She continued for the student’s benefit. “Thank you so much for conferring with me. From what Professor Davi tells me, you can find your way out without problem, yes?”
“Yes,” Gonzales assured her, taking a reluctant Key by the crook of his arm. “Thank you, Assistant Professor.”
The two made their way out the three-story, rose-colored building flanked by palm trees.
“Everybody speaks English,” Key marveled.
“Not everywhere,” Gonzales reminded him. “But Oman Medical College is in an academic partnership with West Virginia University. That’s why I saved it for last. I thought its rep as something of a ferenji—outsider—wouldn’t help us as much.” He shrugged. “Live and learn.”
Once outside, despite everything on his mind, Key was again impressed by Muscat’s relaxed, charming, peaceful energy and beautiful surroundings. Gonzales had told him that the Sultan had decreed that new buildings couldn’t be more than seven stories, and everything had to be designed beautifully and traditionally, as well as compliment the mountains beyond.
It would be a shame, Key thought, if all the residents started exploding.
They stayed silent, that very possibility foremost in their minds, as they neared the parking lot.
“Five Cent-ses Rest-ort?” Key finally repeated, just as carefully as Gonzales had said it to Rahal. “That should come with an automatic ‘sic’ after every mention. What are they trying to do, attract the hipster, who-gives-a-shit-about-spelling-anymore crowd?”
“Good guess,” Gonzales said, “but they’re trying to be different. You’ll see.”
“Assistant Professor Rahal’ll be okay there?”
“She’ll be fine,” Gonzales assured him as they reached the Yaris. “She’s everything my contact said.”
“And more.” Key ruminated as he waited for Gonzales to unlock his door.
The mechanic was struck by the comment, so he just stood for a moment between the driver’s side open door and the wheel. “What do you mean?”
Key halted his own descent into the passenger seat then rose and faced him. “You happen to notice her reaction when I first told her?”
Gonzales considered the question. “Yeah,” he finally said with a tinge of defensiveness. “Shocked, speechless, maybe even a little scared.”
“All of that,” Key agreed. “But you missed one ‘s’ word.”
“Huh?” Gonzales reacted. “What ‘s’ word?”
“Surprised,” Key informed him.
Gonzales reflected on that, shaking his head as he failed to grasp the other man’s meaning.
“She was everything but surprised,” Key clarified. “My friend, she has heard about this before.”
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