This will be the longest month of my life.
Chapter Five
“Ms. Lima, where would you like to go?” Candace asked when Izzy grabbed her bag.
Izzy stopped in her tracks and glanced at her temporary maid, and the helpful twentysomething woman trailed behind her, much like she had in the morning. Because of the jet lag and the fresh memories of Nassor inside her still populating her mind, she’d given herself a break. But now, properly caffeinated and awake, she smoothed her hand over her casual shirt and jeans. “Oh, I’m just taking some pictures downstairs.”
“You have a tour guide available to take you anywhere.”
Izzy sighed. She skimmed the gorgeous room where she stayed, and the image of a sad Nassor unfurled. Well, he hadn’t been sad, but there’d been a twang of nostalgia in his voice when he talked about his life before returning to the castle, and now she knew why. This place is a glorified prison.
“I’ll keep that in mind, but really, it’s just a quick stroll through the lobby,” she said. If she casually got to the thick guest book, maybe she’d be able to find Mary’s address while in town. When she registered, she’d noticed they asked for name, place of birth and address while staying in Gwokon. If Mary had added Obasi’s address or the hotel where she’d stayed, at least Izzy would have an idea as to where to start her search for clues.
“Alright. I’ll prepare you a bath then.”
“Sounds good.” Izzy gestured at her, then left the room and at last closed the door behind her. Her shoulders dropped and a sense of relief spiraled down her body. At last, she’d be able to make some leeway and—
“Ms. Lima,” the bulky bodyguard said, surging to his feet from the chair in front of her room.
His raspy voice startled her, and she clapped her hand to her chest. “Whoa. Yes, that’s me.”
“I apologize, I didn’t mean to scare you. King Regent told me to be at your disposal.”
Oh crap. This again? She scratched her head. “I really appreciate your assistance, but I’m only going to the lobby to take some pictures. Whenever I decide to leave the castle, I’ll let you know.”
“I understand, miss. But you’re a royal guest and the lobby is a public area. It’ll be my pleasure to accompany you there to keep you safe.”
“Of course,” she said, and started walking. He followed a couple of steps behind her. She strode through the lavish hallways, not paying too much attention to the pictures on the textured walls. Apprehension trickled down her spine. How the hell would she get rid of this bodyguard bullshit? Not only today, but during her entire stay—to be able to get answers to her questions about Mary.
“I’ll find a way,” she said out loud.
“Pardon me, Ms. Lima?” the bodyguard asked.
She cleared her throat. “Oh, I was singing an American song. It’s stuck in my head.” She slanted him a look. When she reached the lobby area, her heart beat in staccato. A sizeable crowd occupied the space, with a guide talking to children in a foreign language, and several folks milling about the statue of a former king.
She walked to the intricate podium stand where she’d seen the guest book at check-in. Back then, she couldn’t flick the pages and search through a year’s worth of signatures with Nassor next to her. Now, she’d come up with a stupid excuse and hope the bodyguard pegged her for some airhead tourist who enjoyed turning pages and learning people’s names.
A couple of women talked in front of it, and she gently nudged them, whispering “excuse me.”
When she glanced at the podium, the guest book was…missing.
Cold sweat sheened her palms. What? She looked for a sign explaining what had happened, but didn’t find anything other than brochures crowding the shelves by the guest services booth. She walked up to the heavy, dark wood counter and signaled at the attendant. “Sorry, what happened to the guest book?”
The male attendant smiled. “Oh, we removed it because a tourist accidentally dropped some water and some pages got wet.”
“I’d like to see it.”
He fixed his glasses. “It’s at the Royal Library now.”
“That’s inside the castle, right?”
“Yes, but the library is closed in preparation for the coronation ceremony. They need to switch the framed pictures inside, plaques to the name of the new king.”
“I understand. Are you sure I can’t take a peek? I’ll be quick, I just really wanted to—”
“I see you have a bodyguard. You’re the king’s guest, is that correct? If you’d like, I can ask him—”
Izzy lifted her hands in denial. “No. That’s fine, I don’t want to bother him. I’ll wait until after the coronation,” she said, turning around. If anyone contacted Nassor about this, he’d wonder why she wanted to see the guest book so badly. She looked up at the ceiling and the curvy stairs leading to other parts of the castle. A diminutive red blink caught her attention.
