Chapter 8

The Next Morning …

I had just gotten out of the shower and was in the process of pulling a shirt over my head when Caleb rushed into our tent suite, out of breath.

"You won't believe what I just found out," he said, looking frazzled.

"What's going on?" I asked as I sat on the edge of the bed to put on my socks and shoes.

"Veronica and Daphne—they're gone," Caleb revealed.

"Did they go on the morning game drive again?" I asked.

"No—I mean they are gone, as in, they checked out!" he exclaimed.

I felt a jolt of shock. "Tell me everything you know."

"On my morning walk, I noticed housekeeping cleaning their tent suite much earlier than usual. Curious, I asked what was happening. They told me Veronica and Daphne checked out last night during dinner."

That revelation hit me harder than I expected. They hadn't just skipped dinner to avoid me; they had been orchestrating their escape. How had I missed the signs? I should have seen it coming, especially after Veronica's reaction during our silly game at the bar.

"Did anyone mention where they went?" I asked, hoping for some clue.

Caleb shook his head, disappointment lining his face. "Nothing. I even texted Daphne, hoping she'd spill something, but no luck. She read my message but didn't reply." He blew out a frustrated breath. "We need to find them. This was the most time I have ever spent with Daphne, and it was the best! She could deny it all she wants, but we were really connecting. I felt it."

"Looks like it's time for some sleuthing," I muttered, a mix of frustration and intrigue stirring within me. "Let's try to find the driver from last night. We need to find out if she returned to Kastonia, and if not, where they went. She could be anywhere, and they had a big head start since they left last night."

"Good point, Mr. Watson. We can interview our limo driver for clues."

I gave Caleb a quizzical look. "What's this Mr. Watson business? Did you have some crazy dawa dreams?"

"I've always wanted to be a detective and ruled the house when we played Clue," Caleb said as we headed to the reception desk. "And I know I'd be at least as good as Sherlock Holmes, so you'll be my relatively smart side-kick John Watson."

As we approached, a cheerful staff member looked up from her computer. "Good morning, gentlemen! How is your stay with us so far?"

"Good morning to you!" Caleb said. "This place is spectacular."

"I agree—we couldn't be happier," I said.

"That is wonderful to hear. How can I be of service to you today?"

"I had a question about your transportation services. Could you tell me who the driver was last night? We've heard such good things about him and would like to book a ride with him."

"That would be Fergus, and yes, our guests certainly love him," she said with a smile. "However, Fergus is not available today, unfortunately."

"Oh—I'm sorry to hear that," I said, hoping to get more information out of her. "I hope he's okay."

"I'm guessing he is more than okay since he's on his way to Europe," she said with a laugh. "It's his first day of vacation."

"Lucky him!" I said, trying to muster some enthusiasm. "But too bad for us. Our friends Daphne and Veronica used him last night."

"Yes—for the airport run," she said with a frown. "We were so sad to see them leave unexpectedly. I'd be happy to book you a ride with Keno. I can assure you he is also an excellent driver and can get you where you need to go."

"That sounds great, but let me get back to you on that," I said. "I just realized I need to find out exactly what time we have to leave."

"Of course. I'll be here."

I gave her a nod before stepping away from the reception desk and turning to Caleb with a frown. "Looks like we need to do more digging."

"We know she was at the spa and the bar during happy hour, for starters," he said. "Let's start with the employees there."

"Good idea," I said.

Our first stop was the spa, where the morning staff was just setting up and starting their day. We asked a few discreet questions, but no one seemed aware of any plans made by Veronica and Daphne. Either that, or they had been instructed to always keep their conversations with clients private, which was understandable. With no leads there, we headed to the bar. It was empty, given the early hour, but an employee from the previous day was walking by. I remember seeing him talking to Veronica while I had been ordering drinks. I tried to stop him before he disappeared around the corner.

"Hey, good to see you again," I called out.

He stopped, then turned toward me with a smile. "And you as well. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Do you remember talking with my friend in the bar last night? Gorgeous woman, short hair, brown eyes?"

"Of course. She was admiring the Shangani Beach painting over there, and we had a brief chat," he said, pointing to the vibrant artwork hanging on the wall.

I glanced over at the painting. "I can see why—it's a beautiful piece."

"I agree, although it doesn't compare to the real Shangani Beach," he said.

I nodded. "I'm sure you're right. I'm curious if my friend, Veronica, talked about any travel plans? We're trying to figure out where we want to visit next, but there are so many options, it is literally mind-boggling. I want to surprise her by planning to visit a place she'd love to go to."

The employee shook his head. "I'm sorry, she did not mention anything, but I would recommend talking to our travel concierge near the front desk. She is always happy to share excursion options with our guests."

"That is a great suggestion, thank you," I said, even though I knew Veronica and Daphne did not go on an excursion since they had checked out.

"Always a pleasure," he said, turning to walk away.

Caleb sighed. "Another dead end."

"It appears so, unless that's a clue on the wall." I glanced back at the painting. "Where exactly is Shangani Beach? It's random, but you never know, it could be a lead."

Caleb pulled out his phone, scrolled, then said, "It says here that Shangani Beach is in Stone Town."

"Never heard of it."

"Zanzibar," he added.

I pulled out my phone and did my own search, scrolling through some tourist sites, trying to find out more information. "The Zanzibar Archipelago is a group of islands off the coast of mainland Tanzania. Looks like an interesting place."

"It's known as the playground to the stars," Caleb said. "Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Naomi Campbell, and Tom Cruise all frequent Zanzibar." He glanced up at me. "Do you think Veronica and Daphne could have gone there?"

I shrugged. "Maybe not. It could be a little too touristy for them, and Veronica would certainly want to keep a low profile. Even if they went there, it would be difficult to find them on an island with so many hotels. I think we need a much more solid lead than just a painting of a beach. Let's go grab some breakfast while we figure out what to do next."

On the main deck, Caleb and I loaded our plates with food from the continental buffet. Just as we turned to choose a place to sit, Sabrina and Simon waved us over.

"Good morning," I said, taking a seat next to her. "Beautiful day."

Sabrina popped up out of her chair and did an awkward bow, bumping into the side of the table. "Good to see you, Your Highnesses."

Simon reached over to rescue the salt shaker before it fell off the table.

I took a sip of my coffee and chuckled. "I appreciate the effort, but as I told you last night at dinner, please, there's no need to be so formal."

She grimaced. "Sorry—it's like my body just does it on its own, an uncontrollable reflex, now that I know you're royalty. I'll work on it. Mind over matter."

"Informal is good for me, and especially my back," Simon said with a chuckle. "Where are the ladies?"

"That's what we are trying to find out," I said. "They checked out last night while we were eating, and we have no idea where they went."

Sabrina placed her hand on her chest. "Oh my, that is such a shame. We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to them!"

"Why did they leave in such a hurry?" Simon asked. "You just got here."

I let out a frustrated breath, not wanting to divulge too much of my saga. "Remember, I've made some mistakes. Veronica is trying to protect herself. She thinks I'm going to break her heart again. And to top it off, she thinks I'm back only because I need to find a queen to marry, which couldn't be further from the truth. She refuses to believe I still have feelings for her."

Sabrina waved dismissively at the idea. "Oh, that's just silly. The way you look at her? That's nothing but pure love." She paused, knitting her brows together in thought. "What"s your next move?"

"That"s exactly what we're trying to sort out," Caleb chimed in, checking his phone for any new updates from Daphne.

"Keep texting her," I suggested half-seriously. "Maybe if you annoy her enough, she'll respond, just to get you to stop."

Caleb chuckled and began tapping away on his phone. Meanwhile, I continued to nibble on the array of freshly baked pastries and colorful slices of fruit on my plate, though a simmering frustration overshadowed my appetite. Every lead seemed to dead-end into more uncertainty.

Suddenly, Caleb's phone buzzed. He nearly spilled his juice in his rush to check it.

"It's Daphne," he announced, a wry smile playing on his lips. "She told me to stop being a pest, but confirmed they're okay by sharing this picture." He flipped the phone towards me.

I leaned in, analyzing the photo for any clue that might reveal their location. Both Daphne and Veronica were smiling, holding up their drinks in a toast. It appeared to be an outdoor restaurant, and the darkness meant it was definitely taken last night.

"The good news is, they're still in Africa," I said with a hint of relief.

"How do you know?" Simon asked.

"Because they're drinking dawas, the national drink of Kenya." I scrutinized the photo again. "Other than that, there are just shadows and the vague outlines of other patrons behind them. Not much else, unfortunately." I exhaled in frustration, feeling no closer to finding them. "Do you see anything? Maybe I'm missing something." I held the phone toward Sabrina.

She leaned closer and squinted, studying the image closely, then shaking her head. "No. I don't see anything that's jumping out at me. You're right. It's very dark."

As I pulled the phone back, her expression suddenly brightened.

"Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, yanking at my wrist and pulling the phone back toward her again.

"What is it?" I asked, hope flickering.

Sabrina pointed to their drinks in the photo. "Look at the glasses. They have the letters ‘PH' on them. It's hard to see because of the ice and the bad lighting, but I'm sure of it."

Simon leaned closer from the other side of her, also squinting. "Where have we seen that before?"

"Remember where we stayed for our anniversary two years ago in Italy?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "The hotel …"

Simon thought about it, then snapped his fingers. "The Park Hyatt Milan."

Sabrina smiled. "Exactly. Park Hyatt. PH. We had those same glasses!" She handed the phone back to Caleb. "That can't be a coincidence."

"Please tell me Park Hyatt has hotels here in Africa," I said, already knowing what the answer might mean if they did.

Caleb's fingers flew over his phone's screen, tapping, scrolling, then he paused, his face expressionless. "You will not believe this."

"Please tell me you found something," I said, holding my breath.

A triumphant smile spread across Caleb's face as he turned the phone to show me. "Park Hyatt Zanzibar, located in Stone Town."

The revelation was like a shot of adrenaline.

"Yes!" I pumped my fist in the air, then leaned toward Sabrina and kissed her on the cheek before I could stop myself. "You are an absolute angel in disguise! Thank you so much."

Sabrina blushed. "I'm just glad I could help. Now, go get your girl!"

"Veronica will not know what hit her," Simon chuckled. "I wish I could see the look on her face when you show up and surprise her."

His words sparked an idea, and without hesitation, I said, "Why don't you both join us?"

"That's a great idea!" Caleb said.

Sabrina exchanged a look with Simon, her enthusiasm mixed with surprise and hesitation. "That is very kind of you, really, but we wouldn't want to get in the way."

Simon nodded in agreement, his face showing conflict. "She's right. It's your moment, August. We don't want to overshadow it. Thank you, though."

I pressed on, lightly, trying to break through their hesitation because I really enjoyed their company. "Come on, you mentioned that flying on a private jet was something you had always wanted to do. This could be a fun adventure for all of us, and it would be my way of thanking you for your help. Besides, Veronica and Daphne would be much more thrilled to see your faces than mine and Caleb's. You could help break the ice for me."

"Are you sure about this?" Simon asked.

"Absolutely," I answered.

Sabrina bit her lip. "I will not lie—it certainly is very tempting."

"Then just say yes," I said.

She glanced at Simon, who shrugged, then a smile formed on her face. "How can we refuse an adventure like that?"

"You can't," I said with a grin. "Is that a yes?"

Finally, their initial reservations melted away, replaced by the adventurous spirit I knew was in them when Sabrina said, "Yes!"

Simon high-fived Caleb as his face lit up with excitement. "All right then! It looks like we're going to Zanzibar!"