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)
“If he could,” Shabina said, “it would have been nice for him to have been watching the Bale show.”
“It wouldn’t have been nice for Bale,” Raine objected. “In any case, what Bale is unaware of is that Lawyer told his parents what happened a few days after the incident. He refused to name the other boys, but he went to the coach, admitted he’d been there and apologized. He said he would take the blame if the coach wanted to turn him in. Regardless, he was going to work off the money that was stolen. The coach didn’t give the sheriff Lawyer’s identity. Lawyer was certain the coach suspected Bale, Edward and Sean were involved, but he didn’t ever say. He accepted the money with the interest Lawyer’s father insisted be paid to him.”
“Bale and the others don’t know?” Zahra said. She put a treat in the crate for Misty so the little puppy could have something while the other dogs ate and then gave Daisy her food.
“No. The coach never said a word and neither did Lawyer. Over the years, Lawyer told me he became friends with the coach and his wife, and he still looks after them,” Raine said. “He was extremely concerned that Bale has centered his attention on you, Shabina. He’s known Bale a long time, and he’s obviously worried. He said the man is vindictive.”
“That’s not news,” Zahra said.
“If that isn’t bad enough,” Shabina said, “I think someone broke into my café and stole spices and dates from my kitchen. I buy them specifically from Saudi Arabia or from a shop here in the States that carries them. Some of the spices and dates were dumped in a bush where I run along the canal. If someone else is murdered and there is some kind of ritual altar with spices and dates on it, that would point straight back to me.”
There was absolute silence. “No wonder you wanted me to sort through the recordings from the café,” Raine finally said. “This is bad, Shabina. It does sound as if you’re being set up.”
The alarm indicating someone was at the gate sounded, and Shabina nearly jumped out of her skin. She caught up her phone to stare in a kind of dazed terror at the two men sitting in their car, waiting for permission to drive up to her house.
“Get in the shower, Shabina,” Raine said. “Zahra will let them in. I’m armed. I won’t look like a threat to them because I look injured with my pathetic little leg. I can turn on the cameras in here as well. Take a quick shower and come out looking your usual composed self. We won’t leave you alone with them. Whatever they want they can say right in front of us.”
Shabina wasn’t certain she could stand up, but she gave her phone to Zahra so Raine could use it to talk to the two men at the gate.
“Raine O’Mallory here. What can I do for you?”
Two IDs appeared on-screen. One man was Ellis Boucher the other Rhys Cormier, both claimed to be Interpol agents from Paris. Raine immediately took a screenshot of the men’s identifications and went to work on her computer.
“We’d like to speak with Shabina Foster,” Boucher said.
“She’s in the shower at the moment. Let me have our friend ask her if it would be all right for you to come up to the house. Give me a moment, please.” Raine was very good at stalling. She sounded sweet and reasonable.
Shabina managed to make it to her feet. Wrapping her arms around her churning stomach, she hurried to her bathroom, where she allowed the hot water to pour over her, hoping it would revive her. By the time she emerged, dressed in fresh clothes, her hair wet but braided in a thick rope, she felt a little better. She put the dogs on alert but sent them to their stations, three different corners of the room, where they would have the advantage should they have to attack. Daisy was crated for safety.
“Are you armed?” Raine asked Shabina.
Shabina wouldn’t have walked into the room without being armed. She nodded and put in the code to allow the gates to swing open.
“I want a weapon,” Zahra said. “Just in case.”
“In the kitchen, taped under the center island.” Shabina made her way to the front door. Each step felt like she was wading through quicksand. Why would Interpol want to talk to her? It was bad enough that the FBI and Rafferty were looking at her as a suspect, but now Interpol?
She took a deep breath and opened the door, steeling herself to handle the situation.
Both men had their IDs out to show her at the door. She waved them inside but indicated Raine. “You’ll have to show your identification to Raine. She can’t get up at the moment, but she works for the government and will be acting as my official counsel.”