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“Nothing that grisly. But... if you had to pull a name out of your hat, someone who probably wanted Claxton out of the way, who would it be?”
“Is this a trick question?” Drayton asked.
“No, it’s for real.”
“Okay. Then perhaps...” Drayton finger walked up his lapel and touched the edge of his bow tie again. “Off the top of my head I’d probably have to say it was the politician running against him.”
“Lamar Lucket.”
“Whose name reminds me of a country-western singer.”
“Actually, Lucket is a hotelier,” Theodosia said. “Besides being a political candidate, he owns that new boutique hotel over on Spring Street.”
“Of course, the Ayung Hotel. I read about it in Charleston Magazine. It’s named after a major river in Bali, Indonesia. The atmosphere is supposed to be extremely tranquil and Zen.”
“So you’ll go with me?”
Drayton shrugged. “I suppose a little tranquility couldn’t hurt.”
***
They locked up the tea room and climbed into Theodosia’s Jeep, which was parked in the back alley.
“Is this just for a quick drink or are we going to have dinner?” Drayton asked as they drove.
“Let’s play it by ear,” Theodosia said.
He tapped his fingers against the dashboard. “Works for me.”
The Ayung Hotel was unlike anything they’d seen before in Charleston. The lobby featured a floor-to-ceiling living wall of green plants, a koi pond, gigantic marble elephants, carved dragons, Balinese Barong masks hung on the walls, and a teakwood floor. The furniture was all hand-carved teak with embroidered pillows.
“Listen,” Drayton said as they stood in the lobby.
“What?” Theodosia said. And then she heard it. A soft cacophony of pattering water, wind chimes, and gamelan music. Gentle music for the soul.
“I feel like I’ve been magically transported to Bali,” Drayton said in a reverent tone.
“Lovely, really lovely. But let’s not forget why we’re here.” Theodosia headed for the front desk, where a woman in a yellow silk sari was tapping away at a computer.
“Excuse me,” Theodosia said. “Where would we find Mr. Lucket’s office?”
The woman lifted a hand. “It’s right down this corridor, but I’m afraid he isn’t available at the moment.”
“Oh.” Theodosia let her disappointment show through.
“He’s meeting with his campaign people right now, but I happen to know he should be done in ten or fifteen minutes. Who shall I say is inquiring about him?”
“Theodosia Browning.”
“The desk clerk dutifully wrote down Theodosia’s name, then said, “Perhaps you’d care to wait in our lounge?”
“We’ll do that,” Theodosia said.
“The Nusa Dua room,” the desk clerk said. “Just across the lobby.”
***
“This feels quite authentic,” Drayton said as they sat down at a rattan table in a small restaurant that was all ferns, bamboo plants, draped fishnets, and low lighting. “Like being in old Java.” He glanced around. “Except for that carved wooden mask with the bulging eyes and angry grimace. Makes me feel like I washed up on a desert island where the locals aren’t all that friendly.”
