Murder Takes a Vacation

Sixty-eight-year-old Muriel Blossom, arriving at the airport for her first transatlantic flight, hesitates when the British Airways ticket clerk offers to “bump” her up to business class for her flight to London. Mrs. Blossom has never been “upgraded” before, and the prospect flusters her. She’s also disconcerted when the agent awkwardly lauds the “comfort” of the business class seats, sensing a veiled reference to her weight. Always self-conscious about her weight, Mrs. Blossom has come to dread the close quarters of planes, so she’s relieved when a silver-haired gentleman notices her anxiety and volunteers to take the seat next to hers so that he can take “good care” of her.

The man, whose name is Allan Turner, gives her a tour of the airport’s amenities and escorts her through security. He reminds her a bit of her beloved husband Harold, who died 10 years ago. Gratified by Allan’s praise of her for traveling alone, Mrs. Blossom doesn’t tell him that her vacation in France will only be two weeks, and her friend Elinor will shortly be joining her for a river cruise. She decides to keep her backstory simple, telling him that she’s a native of Baltimore, rather than explaining that she’s lived for a decade with her daughter’s family in Arizona before recently moving back.