Assassin's Honor Read Free Page B

be investigating Dr. Russwin's murder." The officer took a seat opposite her and laid a pad of paper on the table. "I have a few questions I'd like to ask you about your colleague."
                "I don't think I should say anything until I have an attorney present."
                "Certainly, but perhaps you could tell me if you've seen this symbol before."
                With several swift strokes of his pencil he drew a mark she knew well. Her palms suddenly damp with sweat, she struggled to hide her fear as she met the detective's watchful gaze. She swallowed hard at the memory of Charlie's bloody corpse.
                "Yes," she said as her breath caught in her throat. "Someone . . . it was on Charlie's face."
                "Can you tell me what it means?"
                "No. I've been trying to find out what it means for the past five years, but I can't find anything like it."
                "So you have seen this mark before."
                "Yes." She nodded as she stared down at the roughly drawn symbol. "My parents were mutilated with it, just like Charlie."
                "Ah yes, your parents were murdered in the same fashion as Dr. Russwin, correct?"
                "I . . . yes . . . I really don't want to say anything else until my friends return."
                "I quite understand, Miss Zale, but you would like to find the person who killed your friend, wouldn't you?"
                "Of course." She bit her lip as she met the man's unreadable gaze.
                "As I recall, you were the one to find your parents, correct?"
                "No, Kareem found them." A warning shot fired off in her brain, and she shook her head in protest. "If you don't mind, I'd like to wait until my lawyer gets here before we continue."
                "Certainly." He turned in his seat to look over his shoulder.
                Following the direction of his gaze, Emma saw the man in the shadows move his hand slightly. The almost indiscernible movement echoed with the air of a man accustomed to power and how to use it. Her heart ricocheted off her chest wall as she watched the silent exchange between the two men.
                Her gaze jerked back to the detective as he grunted with disgust. Irritation pulling his mouth downward, the policeman sent her a hard look. Whoever the man in the shadows was, the detective definitely didn't like taking orders from him. And that hand gesture had been a command.
                "Miss Zale, can you tell me what Dr. Russwin might have been searching for in the tomb?"
                For a moment, she just stared at the officer. What kind of question was that? They were excavating the burial site of a Pharaoh dead for more than two thousand years. What did the man think Charlie had been looking for? It would take hours for her to explain everything they were hoping to find compared to what they would actually discover.
                "I'm sorry. I don't understand what you're asking."
                "Was Dr. Russwin looking for something special? Something specific? An artifact or inscription you might not have known about?"
                "No, I don't think so." Emma frowned and shook her head. Charlie had always been open with her and the team. Although he did have the habit of keeping a new discovery to himself until he'd confirmed its authenticity.
                "What about this?" Detective Shakir tossed a small medallion onto the table.
                The metal object had a flat, hollow ring to it as it bounced against the wood surface until it spun to a halt. Dull and darkly colored, it blended in with the dark wood of the tabletop. Startled, she barely glanced at the coin before she looked up at the detective's surly expression. The officer was far from happy, and her