“We have to assume they’re going to question us. What’s our story going to be?”
Sam thought for a moment. “As close to the truth as possible. We came out here a little before sunrise for a day hike. We got lost and wandered around until they found us. If they push, just stick with ‘I’m not sure.’ Unless they found our equipment, they can’t prove
otherwise.”
“Got it. And providing we don’t get thrown into a Nepali prison for some obscure crime?”
“We’ll need to retrieve the—”
Sam stopped talking, his eyes narrowed. Remi followed his gaze through the window to the far left side of the squad room near the door. Standing at the threshold were Russell and Marjorie King.
“I wish I could say I was surprised,” Remi muttered.
“Just as we suspected.”
Across the squad room, the sergeant in charge spotted the King twins and hurried over to where they were standing. The trio began talking back and forth. Though neither Sam nor Remi could hear the conversation, the sergeant’s mannerisms and posture told the tale: he was subservient, if not a little frightened. Finally the sergeant nodded and hurried back into the squad room. Russell and Marjorie stepped back into the hallway.
A few moments later Sam and Remi’s door opened, and the sergeant and one of his underlings stepped inside. They took the seats opposite the Fargos. The sergeant spoke Nepali for a few seconds, then nodded to his underling, who said in heavily accented but decent English, “My sergeant has asked that I translate our conversation. Is this acceptable?”
Sam and Remi nodded.
The sergeant spoke, and a few seconds later the translation came: “If you would, please confirm your identities.”
Sam replied, “Have we been arrested?”
“No,” the officer replied. “You are being temporarily detained.”
“On what grounds?”
“Under Nepali law, we are not required to disclose the answer to that question at the present time. Please confirm your identities.”
Sam and Remi did so, and for the next few minutes they were taken through a series of routine questions—Why are you in Nepal? Where are you staying? What prompted your visit?—before getting down to substance.
“Where were you going when you got lost?”
“Nowhere in particular,” Remi responded. “It seemed like a lovely day for a hike.”
“You parked your car at Chobar Gorge. Why?”
“We heard it was a beautiful area,” said Sam.
“What time did you arrive?”
“Before dawn.”
“Why so early?”
“We’re restless souls,” Sam replied with a smile.
“What does that mean?”
“We like to stay busy,” said Remi.
“Please tell us where your hike took you.”
“If we knew that,” Sam said, “we probably wouldn’t have gotten lost.”
“You had a compass with you. How did you lose your way?”