Poppy
Her mouth goes dry. Her brain reels.
She witnessed an unmistakable connection between Arrabella and the man. Arrabella seemed to be expecting him. And nervous. She saw Arrabella go up and speak to him at the bar. Patrick saw, too.
Is this why Arrabella came on the cruise? To hurt Lillith? With the help of the Tan Man? What else could it be?
The Black Orchid is certainly a perfect place to stage an accident.
It’s a sealed-off world adrift at sea, filled with plenty of ready-made suspects as diversions.
Lillith is on the cover of Vanity Fair, and the magazine is being sold on the ship.
Anyone could theoretically see the feature and then notice that the notoriously wealthy media mogul widow is right here, among the Orchid’s guests.
It’s a perfect red herring that would keep investigators’ eyes off the real culprits.
And Lillith has no one to protect her. Other than Poppy.
Poppy makes a spur-of-the-moment decision. She lays down her napkin and hurriedly excuses herself, saying that she, too, needs to visit the ladies’ room.
And she scuttles after Arrabella and the Tan Man.