Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“A bird from Saudi Arabia?” Rob Howard murmured softly. “Isn’t your mother from Saudi Arabia?”
“You were kidnapped and held in Saudi Arabia for nearly two years,” Len Jenkins added. “Is that where you encountered this laughing dove?”
“That isn’t pertinent to her credentials as an expert, and she isn’t going to answer anything that doesn’t pertain to what you need to identify your items,” Decker said before Shabina could answer. “And if you bring up my client’s past trauma, this meeting will be terminated immediately.”
She glanced at the attorney, still afraid to look at Raine. Her mouth went dry as Rafferty produced two more transparent bags. The evidence bags held several small blossoms still intact as well as petals from at least two other species of bright flowers. They had been carefully preserved. The flower was shriveled, but the bright pink petals looking like smooth velvet were distinctive to her. That flower was very popular in Saudi Arabia despite the fact that it was highly toxic. In Africa, the poison had been used to coat arrow darts. The name of the flower was kudu or desert rose.
Was someone trying to frame her? Sean? Bale? Both of them? Or was this really Scorpion up to his old tricks of murdering innocents to watch her slowly lose her mind before he sent his agents to kidnap her? Was he torturing her? That would be like him.
She forced her mind back to the other petals. There was a mixture of meadow flowers and high-elevation flowers, all natural to the Sierra. What was the killer trying to say?
“You’re frowning,” Rafferty observed. “And shaking your head.”
“The mixture of flowers is strange to me. It’s like they were collected from all over. That’s fireweed and asters, which you might find in Tuolumne Meadows. That’s called a swamp onion, and it is found at a higher elevation.”
She frowned again at the flower and the scattering of white petals throughout the mixture of other petals. Recognizing the beginnings of a headache, she rubbed at her temple. “To me, the white petals look a bit like a white iris, but that particular species doesn’t grow in Yosemite.” She bit down on her lower lip.
“Do you know where it came from?”
“White iris is fairly common in many countries.” Including Saudi Arabia. The cemetery iris was popular there. She didn’t say that. “The pink flower is called kudu or desert rose. It grows in Saudi Arabia and is very toxic.”
She pushed the bags across the table toward Rafferty and dropped her hands into her lap. So far, she’d been able to keep all evidence of trembling from the sharp-eyed agents, but she feared that wasn’t going to last if the interview went on much longer.
“You had a bit of an altercation with Deacon right here in the café the morning he went missing,” Rob Howard stated. “I’d like to hear about that.”
“We’re done here,” Decker interrupted decisively. “If you want anything else from my client, you contact me and I’ll set up an appointment for her to meet with you.”
“We have rocks here,” Rafferty said. “They were scattered on the altar, and some were formed in a semicircle around the feathers and flowers.” He placed the transparent bags in front of Shabina on the table.
She glanced down at them but made no move to touch them. She just shook her head. “This isn’t my field of expertise.” Her mouth was so dry her tongue wanted to cling to the roof of her mouth. She recognized the Qaisumah diamond, named after the Saudi village where they were first discovered. They weren’t true diamonds, but a variety of quartz. When cut and polished properly, the brilliance and luster were identical to carbon diamonds.
Shabina wasn’t about to admit to recognizing one more item from the altar of the ritualistic slaying as coming from Saudi Arabia, especially after Jenkins had brought up the fact that Deacon had been taunting her in the café the very morning he had gone missing.
“Gentlemen, you’ll have to find another expert for your rocks,” Decker said immediately. “I believe Miss Foster has identified the feathers and plants for you to the best of her ability. We’re done here.”
“I’ve typed up an accurate, word-for-word report, Sheriff Rafferty,” Raine said. “I’ll send all three of you copies after Shabina reads it over and signs it.”
“Thanks, Raine,” the sheriff said.
Shabina agreed with the lawyer. “If that’s everything? I don’t want to hurry you, but my dogs have been waiting patiently all day to go out.”
Decker stood. Shabina followed his example. Stella smiled at the three men as she stood, leaving the others little choice but to rise as well. The men gathered their evidence bags, and after a brief exchange of goodbyes, they left. Decker followed them out.
Shabina threw herself back into the chair opposite Raine. “What is going on?”