The Devil's Triangle (A Brit in the FBI 4)

Adcock and another guard came around the corner. “Found her, Adcock,” Ajax called. “She’d gotten lost in the dark. When will you have the lights back on?”

“Sir, we’re working on it. The generators are on, but there’s something wrong with the computers—they won’t reboot.”

“Get it figured out.” They started up the hallway.

Mike said, “I hope Ms. Lilith Forrester-Clarke is in the Blue Room with Agent Drummond and Ms. Kohath.”

“Lilith? No, she’s in Florence today, I believe. She’s hard to keep track of, always on the go. Now, Agent Caine, the Blue Room is through here. Let’s go meet your partner.”

He turned a knob and the door opened directly into the room. Nicholas rose when he saw her. “Got lost, did you?”

“I did. Thankfully I ran into Mr. Kohath and he kindly showed me the way.”

Ajax shook Nicholas’s hand, nodded to his sister, studied her face for a moment, before saying, “Forgive my tardiness. I was in the basement, attending to some of our newest stock.”

Cassandra said, “How lovely to meet you, Agent Caine. May I offer you a drink? Wine, perhaps, or Scotch, like your partner?”

“Thank you, no, nothing for me. I apologize for taking so long. I got very turned around on my way back.”

Ajax walked to the cart and poured himself a vodka rocks. He turned, gave them both a salute, and drank it down.

Mike said, “Nicholas, have you explained to Ms. Kohath why we’re here?”

Cassandra said, “Not entirely. I will say that he has many curious ideas about the staff of Moses and the Gobi Desert. He even wanted to speak to Lilith, to accuse her, I believe, of hiring the thief who stole the staff from the Topkapi. But he cannot since Lilith is in Rome.”

Mike said, “But Mr. Kohath said she was in Florence.”

“Wherever,” Cassandra said. “I’m sure if you look long enough, you will track her down.”

Nicholas leaned forward. “You could phone her. I don’t happen to have her number.”

Ajax shrugged, said very quietly to his sister, “Tell them.”

Cassandra stared at Ajax. “Tell them what exactly?”

Ajax took his sister’s arm, as if to steady her. “There is no use trying to pretend. We might as well tell them the truth and be done with it.”

“I don’t know, Ajax, I’m not certain—”

Ajax said to Nicholas and Mike, “Lilith is no longer in our employ.”

“Ajax, really—”

He shook his head at Cassandra, faced the FBI agents again. “Look, I apologize for the deception. It’s been a bit embarrassing, really. We don’t want it to reflect poorly on the foundation, or the family. We’ve been considering coming forward, but it’s been a busy time and to be honest, we’ve been torn.

“The truth is, we had to dismiss Lilith earlier in the week, and it’s not something we take lightly. She’s been with us for a very long time, is almost as familiar to the industry as a part of our company as Cassandra and myself. You mentioned the stolen staff of Moses, taken from the Topkapi last week?”

Cassandra said, “Agent Drummond believes we hired the thief to steal the staff.”

Ajax said, “Well, now they’ll know the truth. As I’m sure you know, our family’s legacy is deeply rooted in the search for the Ark of the Covenant. Lilith, acting on her own initiative, decided to help us along by hiring someone to steal the staff of Moses, or the rod of Aaron, whichever you wish to call it.

“Once we realized what she’d done, what a horrible position she put us all in, we asked Lilith to turn herself in. Instead, she ran. So honestly, we don’t know if she’s in Rome, or Florence, or Timbuktu. But if there’s anything we can do to help you find her, the foundation—and my sister and I—are at your service.”

Nicholas took an easy sip of his Scotch, then clapped slowly, once, twice, three times. “Well done, and all on the spur of the moment. Or was it? Did you practice it? An excellent tale. I don’t even know where to start.”

“I do,” Mike said. “Where’s the staff of Moses?”

CHAPTER FORTY