Smokescreen

by Iris Johansen

  “Cairo?” Eve repeated. “Egypt? That’s where you’re going to find this scientist?”

  He nodded. “Yusef Dobran. Why the surprise?”

  “Not surprise really. But Egypt has been turning up in the conversation ever since I got here. Zahra Kiyani has a passion for it. But it had nothing to do with Cairo.”

  “One can never tell where a passion will take you.” He turned away from the reconstruction. “I’ll go tell Novak I’ll head to Cairo to talk to his scientist. I’ll be back before I leave.”

  “You’d better. Otherwise, I’ll track you down.”

  “Promises. Promises.” He smiled at her over his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Eve. And that’s another promise.”

  She watched him walk out the door. She wanted to go running after him, to touch him again…Instead, she got to her feet and headed for the bathroom to wash up and change her clothes. They both had their jobs to do, and the sooner they were done, the sooner they could be together.

  It was best that Joe was leaving, she told herself. Best that he wasn’t going to stay here in the center of the hurricane, where she had to be with the reconstruction. After all, it was what she had wanted.

  But Joe never stayed out of the eye of the hurricane for long. How did she know there wasn’t a worse storm waiting for him in Cairo?

  Chapter

  ​10

  Joe saw Novak standing by the path the moment he left the museum. “I’m going to Cairo.”

  “I thought you might. I’ll call Gideon unless you prefer someone else to accompany you. He’s been involved with investigating Dobran from the beginning. He’s very good, and he has advantages that my other men don’t have.”

  “Money and contacts?”

  Novak nodded. “Those, too. But I was thinking that he learns from every situation and adapts to find a way to win the next one. Didn’t you find that to be true?”

  Joe nodded. “Gideon will do.” He looked him in the eye. “As long as you make it clear that he obeys my orders instead of yours. And as long as I find him valuable. The minute I find he fails me in either category, I’ll send him back to you and work on my own.” He paused. “He wouldn’t tell me anything on the way here. He lies very well, but he’s obviously clever, and I realized he’d know more about you than what he told me.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t force the issue with him. I like Gideon, I might have had to address it with you.” He added, “Yes, he knew. As you say, he’s clever, and I needed him. But he’s his own man, and I’ll let him know that he can trust you. You’ll have to forge your own relationship with him.”

  Joe nodded. “Whatever. And I’ll need to know everything there is to know about Yusef Dobran and his assistant, Hassan Sebak. Right away.”

  “What Gideon doesn’t know, he’ll find out for you. When do you leave?”

  “In the next hour or so.”

  “I’ll assign someone to take you back to the airport and let Gideon know you’re coming. Backup?”

  “Get someone local to Cairo that Gideon can call if needed. I’ll let him know when I think—”

  “Hello. You’re Joe Quinn?” It was a woman’s voice from the path behind him. “I’m Jill Cassidy. We’ve never officially met.” She was coming out of the brush from the direction of the village. She slanted a cool look at Novak. “You lied to me, Novak. Hajif didn’t need to see me. I told you I wasn’t going to hide from Quinn.” She turned back to Joe. “You deserve to meet the person who hurt Eve and manipulated your family.” She lifted her chin. “Is there anything you’d like to say to me? Whatever it is, I’ll listen and agree with every word. There’s no apology I can make that will make what I did any better.” She held his gaze, and said quietly, “But I owe you, and I promise I’ll find a way to make it right.”

  “Believe me, she will, Quinn,” Novak said dryly. “Which isn’t always a good thing.”

  “You’re right.” Joe was gazing straight in her eyes. “Your apology sucks. What you did to Eve is unforgiveable. Eve may have come up with some way to find excuses for you, but I won’t. If you need to kill a snake, then cut its head off. Don’t make Eve do it for you. You could have gotten her killed.”

  “I know that,” Jill said steadily. “It’s all my fault. And even if I wanted to stop her now, I couldn’t do it. It’s too late. All I can promise is that I’ll take care of her.”

  “Yes, you will,” Joe said fiercely. His hands clenched into fists as the rage tore through him. His gaze went from her to Novak and back again. “Because you’re right, it is too late. So Eve is going to do what you asked her, and I’m going to find where the snake is hiding. And you will both make certain that nothing happens to Eve. Not a scratch, do you hear? If anything does, then I’ll come after you, and I’ll never stop until I kill you.” He whirled back toward the museum. “Call Gideon, Novak. I need to get out of here.”

  Eve was coming out of the bathroom when Joe walked into the museum. “That was quick,” she said warily as she studied his expression. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. It’s just time that I left.” He took her into his arms. “No, that’s a lie. I just ran into Jill Cassidy and blew my cool.” He held her close. “And uttered dire threats if she and Novak didn’t take care of you.” His arms tightened. “And meant every one of them.”

  “I’m sure you did.” She looked up at him. “They both want to keep me safe, Joe. Just take care of yourself.”

  “Always.” He kissed her. “I’ll call you when I can. Try not to work too hard.” He cupped her face in his two hands. “Yeah, that’s not likely. I’ll see you soon, love.”

  She nodded and blinked to keep back the tears. “I’m sorry that I pulled you into this, Joe.”

  “I’m not. I just wish it had happened sooner.” He pulled her close again for a long moment, then he was turning away. “I’ll call Michael on the way to Cairo and reassure him that you’re doing well.”

  “I’ll have to call him again myself soon. It was just difficult…” She made a face. “He’d see right through me and worry.”

  He nodded. “He does that anyway even long-distance.” He suddenly whirled back and was across the room again. He kissed her, long, hot, passionately, then he let her go. “Change your mind. Let me take you out of here. I’ll find another way to do this.”

  Her arms tightened around him. “What if you can’t? I have that skull here, now. Give me the time, and I can do this. You know I can.”

  He muttered a curse and pushed her away from him. “Yes, you can do it. I thought I’d try one more time.” He turned away again. “Hell, I would have tried sex if it wasn’t for that damn cot and a whole roomful of skulls glaring down at us.”

  Eve shook her head with a smile. “The cot was a problem, but the kids wouldn’t have been glaring; children usually think sex is funny.” Her smile faded as her gaze fell on the Varak reconstruction on the dais. She suddenly shivered. “But I think he might have been a challenge.”

  “No, he wouldn’t. We wouldn’t let him,” Joe said. “But I prefer you not have the distraction. He bothers you. So get rid of him, and when I come back, we’ll discuss the other hurdles to overcome.” He paused at the door and looked back at the reconstruction. He smiled, then deliberately gave the Varak skull the finger. “Get rid of him,” he repeated. “He’s no threat to you. Alive or dead, we won’t let him touch you.”

  Then he was gone.

  * * *

  Jill opened the door of the museum ten minutes later. “Quinn is on his way,” she said. “Novak got him out of the village as soon as he could. I think he was afraid he’d have to protect me from him and that would have caused all kinds of trouble with you.” She hadn’t moved from the doorway. “Am I allowed to come in? I have to do it anyway because I have to be near you. But I hope that you’ll still permit me to do it. I know that Quinn was terribly angry with me.”

  “For heaven’s sake, come in.” Eve shook her head with exasperation. “And you sho
uld have expected him to be angry. Your research should have told you that Joe can be very cool most of the time, but he has his limits.”

  “And you’re definitely one of those limits.” Jill shook her head. “No, you’re the supreme limit. I did realize it, I just hadn’t experienced it.” She came into the room. “It’s going to take me a long time to find a way to get him to forgive me.”

  “No question.” She sat down at her worktable. “Does it matter?”

  “Yes. Making amends is always important. I’ll just have to do something very good that will make up for the bad. It’s all a question of balance. The monks taught me that when I was a kid.”

  “Monks?”

  “In Tibet. They were cool dudes.” She looked at Eve with a frown. “You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?”

  “I’ll eat later.”

  She shook her head. “You’ll get involved and put it off. I’ll go down and get some fruit from Hajif, then send someone to Jokan for something more substantial.” She frowned. “Tea or coffee? I can make you decaf.”

  “Tea will be fine. And now isn’t the time for decaf.”

  “No, it isn’t.” She started to turn away. “Thank you for not letting him turn you against me. I know that I’m nothing to you, and he’s everything. But you won’t be sorry. I’ll keep you safe.”

  “Just don’t let anyone disturb me until Varak is finished. That’s all I need from you.” She grimaced. “And that’s all Joe will want also. To have this over.”

  Jill shook her head. “But he wants something else more. He told Novak and me he’d kill both of us if you got even a scratch while we were taking care of you.” She smiled. “So I have to make certain to pay attention to his priorities even if they conflict with yours.” She headed for the door. “I’ll be right back. Please don’t acquire any scratches while I’m gone.”

  Eve shook her head ruefully as Jill disappeared. She had known Joe was in a fury when he’d come back to the museum, but she’d hoped he’d been exaggerating when he’d said he’d been threatening dire things. She should have known better. Well, Novak and Jill would have to learn to accept Joe as he was and be damn glad to have him on their side.

  She forced herself to turn back to the Varak reconstruction. Blank gaping holes for eyes stared at her from that scorched, blackened face. Joe had realized that she had been nervous about doing this reconstruction. And though he hadn’t wanted her to do it, he had offered her his support in typical Joe fashion. She smiled as she remembered that scornful, insulting finger Joe had given Varak before he left.

  Lord, she loved him.

  “He’s right, I can do this,” she murmured as she gazed into those gaping eyes. “Screw you, Varak.”

  She leaned closer, her gaze intent, as she started to measure again.

  * * *

  Gideon was standing beside the steps of the plane when Joe was dropped off at the airfield. “I hear we’re going to Cairo,” he said as he turned and went up the steps. “I thought that’s where we’d end up after you talked to Novak.”

  “But you still didn’t tell me anything about Yusef Dobran on the way here,” Joe said as he followed him into the plane. “That could have been dangerous. I was frustrated as hell.”

  He shrugged. “It was the chance I took. You were an unknown quantity.” He grinned. “And what I did know was explosive. I had orders to bring you here. I wasn’t certain that you wouldn’t make a detour to Cairo on your way if you thought you had a chance to bring this to a close a bit faster.” He headed for the cockpit. “And after all the effort I put in setting up Hassan Sebak, I wasn’t going to let it all go down the tubes because you were in a hurry.”

  “You set up the deal with Sebak?”

  “Novak can’t do everything.” He dropped down in the pilot’s seat. “Though he’d prefer to try. But I convinced him that I could handle this better than he could. It was quite an accomplishment, since Novak thinks very highly of himself.” He was doing the checklist. “Rightly, of course. But I’m a bit impatient. He has too much on his plate, and I want Varak.” He looked at Joe. “So sit down, buckle up, and we’ll get out of here. I’ll tell you everything I know about Cairo on the way.”

  Joe slowly sat down in the copilot’s seat. “You think Dobran did the DNA. You believe Varak is alive? Why?”

  “Because Jill does, and I trust her. Nothing has changed that since the day she came to me and asked for the money to give to Hadfeld.” His lips twisted. “Besides, I can’t do anything else. It’s a puzzle I have to solve. I’ll use you or anyone else to help me do that.” He started the Gulf Stream checkdown. “But I’ll let you use me as well, Quinn. When I get this baby in the air, I’ll be at your disposal.”

  “Yes, you will,” Joe said grimly as he buckled his seat belt. “And I’m pretty good at puzzles, Gideon, but I don’t intend to spend much time on this one. I want an answer before Eve gets finished with that damn reconstruction.” He leaned back in his seat as Gideon started to taxi. “And you don’t know what impatient means yet.”

  “Five minutes,” Gideon said, as the plane left the ground. “Just five minutes…”

  It was only four minutes before he gained the altitude he needed and turned to face Joe. “What do you want to know?”

  “Dobran. Everything.”

  “He was born in Cairo to an upper-middle-class family, his parents were both prestigious professors of arts and antiquities at the Cairo University. But Yusef chose to go for a medical degree at the Sorbonne in Paris and went on to get both a medical and chemistry degree there. He was totally brilliant, but when he was at the Sorbonne, he developed a drug habit that required he make more money than he could earn in medicine. That led him to explore other alternatives that took him into the DNA netherworld, and he found his niche. He spent six years in Paris, and by the time he returned to open his own lab in Cairo, he had developed a stellar reputation among the criminal underworld. For the last fifteen years, he’s built on that reputation, and I’m sure Novak told you that Dobran is probably our man.”

  “And what do you think?”

  “That Dobran is an arrogant asshole who will do anything to prove how clever he is. He likes money, but he also considers himself one of the elite intelligentsia like his parents. Unfortunately, both his parents and his social set don’t agree and have ostracized him.”

  “What a pity. Does he have a wife? A mistress?”

  “He changes mistresses every few months, but he always visits them in town and never permits them to come to his Asarti estate.” He glanced at Joe. “He’s very careful. Only his guards and his drug dealer and Hassan Sebak are permitted on the property. That’s all.”

  “And what does Sebak do for him? What kind of assistant? Does he help in the lab?”

  “Sometimes. But he’s more of a gofer. He runs interference and errands for Dobran.” He smiled faintly. “And he makes sure that all is secure and well in his gallery. That may be his most important task as far as Dobran is concerned.”

  “Gallery?”

  “Dobran is a collector. Paintings, sculptures, antiquities. He has a fabulous collection that he’s acquired since he came back to Cairo. It’s what he spends those fat fees that he gets for his work on.” He shrugged. “It’s almost as much an addiction as his drug habit. Though it could be that he just wants to stick it to his father and all those other people who don’t recognize how superior he is.”

  Joe’s gaze narrowed on his face. “But you don’t believe that.”

  “No, but I’m giving you both sides of the coin. Though it could be a little of both. He was exposed to fine art and antiquities from childhood, so the appreciation has to be bred into him. But he’s shown himself to be vengeful and selfish all of his adult life. I’m certain that adds to the pleasure enormously. Hence, the addiction.”

  Sharp. Very sharp, Joe thought. Gideon was impressive. “Two addictions. Drugs and his art collection. Which can we use?”

  “That’s up to
you,” Gideon said solemnly. “Novak said that I’m to let you lead the way. I gave you possible weapons, so now I’ll meekly let you take charge.”

  “Meekly?” Joe’s brows rose. “Is that supposed to be amusing? You’re like a chameleon adapting to your surroundings to get what you want. That’s a dangerous talent.”

  “Only if you don’t want the same thing.” He handed his phone to Joe. “Check out the photos of Dobran and Sebak. You’ll want to know them on sight.”

  “That goes without saying.” Joe glanced at the two photos. Dobran was in his early forties, hollow-cheeked, thick, dark eyebrows. Sebak, older, receding hairline, a little plump. “What else do you have?”

  “Shots of his estate, Asarti, outside Cairo. It’s a château he bought from a French businessman five years ago and had renovated. You’ll notice the placement of his exterior sentries are clearly indicated.” He gave Joe a glance. “Just in case you don’t want to rely on Hassan Sebak to get us in to see Dobran. I dangled the money, and he snapped at it, but he’s a little too comfortable with Dobran. He tends to be nervous. He’s still tempted, but it’s possible he could change his mind before the deal is struck. He might decide that trapping us is a safer option for him.”

  Joe flipped through the photos. “No interior shots?”

  “No, but you’ll find a copy of the original renovation plans filed by his architect when he bought the château. That should do it.”

  Joe examined the plans. “Yes, that should do it.”

  “So do we ignore Sebak and go for his boss?”

  Joe thought about it. “Not immediately. There are things Sebak can tell us that might help us. And you’ve already proved that he can be tapped.” He held up his hand as Gideon opened his lips to protest. “You haven’t set the deal in place, so he won’t have a decision to make that will impact us. Where are Sebak’s quarters? Is he in the house?”