The Oracle (Fargo Adventures 11)

“The broken deck …?”

“No. I think that had been ripped out. The police are looking into it. It’s possible it was a terrible accident. Maybe he didn’t realize the decking was damaged.”

“My mother didn’t even tell me.”

“I’m sure she was worried.”

“She’s very protective. Too protective.” Amal looked out the window for several long moments toward what promised to be a spectacular sunset, not seeing any of it. When Nasha stirred in her arms, she looked down at her, then back at Remi. “I think I’ll ask Nasha not to tell my mother about the kidnapping. She’ll only worry more.”

“I’m sure Nasha will keep your secret until you’re ready to talk about it.”

Sam returned from the cockpit, taking a seat next to Remi. “I want you to know how sorry we are.”

Amal nodded, brushing the tears from her eyes. “Do you think it was suicide? The guilt he must have carried to take his own life.”

“I don’t know,” Sam said. “Whatever it is, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

Life is as you yourself make it.

– GHANAIAN PROVERB –

Bulla Regia, Tunisia

I feel like we’re intruding,” Remi said in the car as Sam parked in the graveled drive of the university house Renee shared with the other archeologists.

She must have been watching out the window because a moment later Sam saw the front door open. Renee, leaning on one of her crutches, stood at the threshold, looking at them. “Don’t forget, Remi. She called you. You’re here for moral support.”

“I know. Remember, nothing about the books. I don’t want to add to her stress.” She leaned over, kissed him, then slid out of the car.

Sam didn’t follow. Instead, he pulled out his phone, pretending to be studiously reading an email, in order to give them a few moments of privacy. He hadn’t known Warren all that well, but from what Remi told him, Renee had been close to the man.

After a few minutes, Remi waved him over and he walked up to the door, offering his condolences.

“Thank you,” Renee said. “It helps to have old friends around. And thanks for bringing Remi out. Especially after everything the two of you have been through.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Sam said, earning a smile from his wife. “Have the police said anything else?”

“No,” she said, using her crutch to cross the room, taking a seat on the couch. “I’m sure I’ll hear more today. Amal’s crushed. Hank, thank goodness, is keeping his head about him, even though I left him stranded at the airport. After finding Warren, I totally forgot I was supposed to pick him up.”

“What happened?” Remi asked.

“Where do I even start?”

“The beginning,” Sam said.

“That would be the phone call from José about the break-in.” She pulled her phone from her pocket, showing Remi a photo. “The theft of Echo.”

“They took the whole floor?” Remi asked.

“Worse,” she said as Remi handed the phone to Sam. “They hacked out her face. You can see it in the next photo. We were lucky they didn’t completely destroy the floor taking it out. There was a significant crack running along the tree she’s leaning against, which sort of helped them.”

Sam enlarged the photo on the screen, seeing a young woman in white, her hair pulled back with bands in a classical Grecian style, peering at something just beyond the tree she hid behind. He scrolled to the next photo, where Echo’s face had been hacked out. Though the mosaic was many hundreds of years old, the colors were still vibrant. “Let’s hope the police find it.”

“Items sold on the antiquities black market don’t often resurface.”

“You think Warren stole it?” Remi asked.