A Dangerous Conclusion (4)

Pieter:      I was afraid you might be here.
Sandra:      Oh, Pieter, you startled me! I was just 
             looking at my emails.
Pieter:      And reading the international news?     
             Stand up quietly and come with me. 
Mari:        Pieter, what are you going to do?
Pieter:      I’m going to see how well Sandra can    
             swim.

Mari:        No, you can’t!
Pieter:      Be smart, Mari. We can’t have her       
             telling anyone she recognized us. Do you want  
             to go to prison again?
Sandra:      I won’t stand up; so you’ll have to     
             carry me! (Angrily she pushes at the Computer, 
             which topples to the floor. At the loud crash, 
             three crew members run into the library.)
Crew:        What’s going on here? Did someone have  
             an accident?
Sandra:      I’d like to see the captain immediately. 
             This man was going to throw me overboard!
Pieter:      But she’s lying; why would I do that?   
             (Nervously backs away.)
Mari:        Pieter, it’s all over. We don’t have a  
             chance. Just give up.
Pieter:      Be quiet! It’s her word against ours.
Crew:        Sir, if you will come with me.
Sandra:      Not exactly... I’d like to show the     
             captain this article on the computer.
Crew:        (Looking at the article.) This is very  
             serious. (Gestures to other crew members.) One 
             of you go get the captain. All of you sit down.

Mari begins weeping. Pieter sits with his head in his hands. In a few minutes, the captain appears.

Captain:     What is happening here?
Sandra:      Captain, I think you should read this   
             article. (Pointing to the computer.)
Captain:     “Jewel thieves continue to plague       
             Europe. In a recent London interview Inspector 
             Boyd was quoted as saying, “The thieves’ method 
             seems very similar to thefts that took place in 
             Canada when I lived there three years ago. A   
             tourist taking pictures across from the jewelry 
             store was able to get a clear picture of the   
             couple. Although thousands of pictures were    
             distributed, the couple was never found.”

The captain looked at the couple in amazement.

Captain:     I believe this couple looks enough like 
             the picture to detain them.
Crew Member: Captain, they also threatened to throw  
             this woman overboard.
Captain:     Lock them in the brig. I’ll contact the 
             authorities to come onboard tomorrow. (The     
             couple is taken out as he talks to Sandra.) 
             How did you happen to discover this 
             information? 
Sandra:      There were several things that concerned 
             me. One, Pieter seemed to be wearing a toupee  
             that didn’t match his natural hair. Two, they  
             had both been actors in Canada where the       
             robberies began. Actors can use makeup and wigs 
             to change their appearances very quickly. And  
             just after they moved to Scotland, there was a 
             rash of jewel thefts in Europe. 
Captain:     It’s a good thing you were suspicious   
             enough to check the computer. In just a few    
             hours, we would be in the United States and    
             they would be free to rob again.
Sandra:      Thank you, now I’m going to my room to  
             sleep. I can’t wait to get home for some peace 
             and quiet in my little town. Nothing exciting  
             ever happens there. And then there’s the       
             cooking contest next week...

What Sandra doesn’t know yet, is that the postman has delivered a letter to her home that will led to a trail of intrigue with the disappearance of a cooking contestant and a judge.