“Joe!” Her eyes sprang up to his and saw they were heated and amused.
“You ready?” he said without a hint of impatience.
She nodded. Joe kissed the tip of her nose. “That’s my girl,” he said before tugging her into the dark alley.
Chapter 10
Joe didn’t like their situation one bit. The alley was only wide enough for them to walk in single file. Joe put Julia in front of him and brought up the rear. One look at Ed and he saw his friend was on the same page. Much to Patricia’s disgust, Ed insisted on leading the way, which put the women firmly between the men, where they could best protect them.
Joe kept one hand on Julia’s shoulder as he scanned their surroundings. There were no other access points in the alley, only straight walls on either side of them. This meant no one could come at them from the side, but it also meant that there were no clear escape routes if they needed one.
At the end of the long, dark corridor, the alley opened out into a tiny courtyard. And at the rear of the courtyard was a shop. The interior was black and unwelcoming, the wares spilled out into the space around it, with displays attached to the walls. Baskets filled with assorted dead things sat on the ground at the bottom of the three steps that led up and into the crooked little building.
“Will you let me pass?” Patricia demanded as she smacked Ed’s shoulder.
He looked back at her, his face stony. “No. Not until we know what we’re walking into here.”
“And what are you going to do if we’re walking into trouble? Sue somebody?”
Ed’s eyes hardened, taking years off him and bringing Joe back to the first time they’d met—on a naval vessel off the coast of Yemen. Joe had just started his career and Ed was on the flipside. He’d had a reputation as a smart guy who could get the job done—no matter what it took.
“Before I was ever a lawyer, I was a marine,” Ed said. “Believe me when I tell you there’s a whole lot I can do if need be.”
“God save us from Neanderthal men,” Patricia said. “I know Juan Pablo. Move out the way so I can talk to him.”
“No.” Ed shut the conversation down with one word as he strode forward, clearly on alert.
As they approached the front of the store, three figures emerged from the doorway. Two of the men moved to either side of the shop, leaning against the walls, but clearly acting as sentries for Juan Pablo
. The artefact smuggler came with his own little army. Marcus had failed to mention that.
Juan Pablo stood at the entrance to his shop. He was average height for a Bolivian, which put him a full head shorter than Joe. He was stocky, with a square face to match. His black hair was neat and parted to the left. He wore black dress trousers and a white dress shirt that was open at the collar. His arms were folded and his face was drawn into a scowl.
“This isn’t a tourist shop,” he said in heavily accented English. “Go back the way you came. There is nothing for you here.”
“Juan Pablo,” Patricia called. “We’ve met before. I’m Patricia Matthews. I’ve been to your shop and we talked at the mummy convention.”
Joe couldn’t see the black-market dealer’s reaction to Patricia’s words, but he did see Ed’s. The ex-marine had tensed for a fight. Joe tugged on Julia’s shoulder, pulling her against his body.
The hairs on Joe’s neck were standing to attention. He wrapped his hand around the gun that was in the holster fitted to his belt, hidden under his shirt. He unsnapped the latch, ready to free the weapon.
“Patricia.” Juan Pablo’s tone was ingratiating, oozing fake warmth and friendship. “It is good to have you visit my small business again. A fellow mummy enthusiast is always welcome here.”
The man stepped out of the dark recesses of his shop interior and into the subdued light of the alleyway. His gaze was calculating, setting off every single one of Joe’s alarms.
“But where is your friend?” Juan Pablo studied each of them in turn. “I see you have brought new customers for me to meet.” He inclined his head as though expecting an introduction.
“Oh, this is—” Patricia said, but Ed cut her off.
“We aren’t enthusiasts like Patricia here, just some friends visiting with her for a while.”
“Indeed.” Juan Pablo’s eyes narrowed before he smiled at Patricia. “What can I do for you, lovely señora?”
“We’re here about the mummy Marcus Delaney sold to you. It was stolen and we need to return it. Of course, seeing as you had no way of knowing that, we’re more than happy to reimburse any losses you suffer.”
Juan Pablo stiffened slightly and then caught the eye of one of his sentries. The other man nodded. It was a slight movement, barely noticeable. And it set Joe’s nerves on edge. Every instinct he possessed told him to get out of the alley.
“Ah.” Juan Pablo spread his hands wide, flashing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “But I don’t have this mummy any longer. There was a buyer waiting to take it from me.”