Eddie's Desert Rose

This is the conclusion of Eddie's Desert Rose. Dave and Maura go back to visit Dave's parents in Greenbrier. After telling them what he had found out about Eddie's death, he drops a subtle bomb that his mother must deal with. Then he makes a visit to Eddie's grave to say one more goodbye. He reads a parting selection from Eddie's journal.

Dave and Maura arrive in Frankfort, Germany with a feeling of deliverance, that they have left their problems behind. Their enemies, however, are not convinced they will keep their vow of silence. Beth and Khalil arrive from Paris and they begin to think about their future. And then, all hell breaks loose.

Maura is back at the U.S. Consulate, but this time with Dave and Prince Majed. After the ill-fated boat trip to Bahrain, Majed vows to protect Dave and Maura until they leave the country. The U.S. officials are resistant, yet agree to comply with the prince's wishes.

Dave, Maura, and Rico get in a small boat that Majed has supposedly arranged to take them to Bahrain. A few miles out the boat stops and they realize that something is terribly wrong. There is a scuffle, which ends badly.

In a meeting with Tanley administrators, Maura realizes she can't count on their help to secure Dave's release. Then a mysterious Arab arrives at her door with a plan to get Dave out of the palace and take a boat to Bahrain. Rico helps Dave escape, and then they run to where Maura is waiting for them. A boat is supposed to pick them up at first prayer call.

Maura confronts the officials of the U.S. Consulate and makes it clear that she doesn’t accept their casual attitude to Dave’s disappearance. Dave is able to get a message to Maura through Rico.  

Maura spends the whole night distraught over Dave's disappearance and fears the worst. Jerry shows up to take Maura to the U.S. consulate. Dave wakes up with a massive headache, a prisoner in Prince Majed's palace.

Dave accepts Prince Majed's invitation to visit the palace. They have dinner and then go to Majed's private disco for a drink. They have an affable discussion where Dave gets the impression that the prince is ignorant of what happened to Eddie.

Dave practices doing handstands, dyes his hair blond, and then heads to the beach where Khalil told him he could find Prince Majed. He succeeds in attracting Majed's attention. Majed invites him to his palace the following day.

Dave and Maura are back in Saudi Arabia after a wild ride on the party boat from Bahrain. Dave returns to work and begins to plot his next move, a meeting with Prince Majed, who can surely tell him what happened to Eddie.

Dave and Maura get on an old fishing boat to take them back to Saudi Arabia.  The vessel has been converted to a party boat for expatriates that want to spend a weekend away from the Kingdom. They survive the rocky journey and enter Saudi Arabia through the back door.

On a night flight to Bahrain Dave explains to Maura why he must find out why Eddie was killed. Later he reads more of Eddie's journal while Maura sleeps. We learn more of Eddie's adventures in Saudi Arabia.

A friend of Beth's drives Dave, Maura and Khalil to the small town of Tonnerre outside Paris. They plan to hide out in Beth's country home until they figure out what to do next. While there Khalil finishes his story of what happened that last night he was with Eddie. Dave concludes that he still needs to return to Saudi Arabia and talk to Prince Majed.

Dave follows Khalil into a bathhouse and makes him believe he is available for sex. He invites him back to his hotel where Maura awaits. They question him and get him to recount the story of the night he took Eddie to meet the Saudi prince. The French police arrive at the door and the three of them go out the fire escape and across the rooftops of Paris.

Dave and Maura go to Paris to find Khalil. Maura decides it is time to patch up a long feud with her sister, and they enlist her in their search. Maura reveals that she thinks she met Khalil in Saudi Arabia, and later runs into him by chance on a cold, dark Paris street while she is walking alone.

Dave returns home to comfort his mother and attend Eddie's funeral. He makes a shocking discovery that confirms his suspicions that Eddie's death was no accident. He realizes that they have to go to Paris to find Khalil. Maura feels that what Dave wants to do is too dangerous, but vows to follow her husband. 

Dave and his wife, Maura, head back to the Midwest to lay Eddie to rest. The flight from Dhahran to New York is long and difficult. Dave passes the time reading more of Eddie's journal--the thoughts, feelings and stories that Eddie hadn't shared with anyone, not even his brother.

In this episode Dave and Maura visit Eddie's room to see if they can find any clues to what brought about his death. Dave discovers Eddie's journal and begins to read the private thoughts and feelings of his brother.

Dave and Maura go to the police station in Al-Khobar to get more information about Eddie's death. When details are lacking, he sets out to find Khalil. What he finds out surprises, but not quite as much as it surprises Maura.

Maura, Dave's wife, awaits his return for lunch and ponders the frustrating life of women in Saudi Arabia. But when she gets the news of Eddie's death, she puts her concerns aside to help her husband deal with the shock.

Eddie's Desert Rose is novel set in Saudi Arabia in the 1980's. Dave and his brother Eddie are expats teaching English at the Royal Saudi Naval Base. Dave begins a typical workday dealing with unruly students and uncertainties about life half a world away from home. By the end of the day he receives disturbing news about his brother that blows his everyday worries out of the water.