Tell your friend a lie. If he keeps it secret, then tell him the truth.
– AFRICAN PROVERB –
Sam drew his gun, moved to the threshold, and motioned for Remi to wait at the door. Whoever was in there wasn’t too worried about being overheard. He entered the kitchen, walked down the hall to the dining room, stopping at the arched entrance to the front of the house that the archeologists used for an office. When he looked around the corner, he saw Amal picking through the books on the shelves. He called her name.
She jumped, turning toward him, her hand flying to her heart. “You scared me.”
“What are you doing?”
“I … I wanted to find the missing ledger.”
“Is there anyone here with you?”
“No, of course not.”
Remi joined them, shocked to see Amal. “What on earth?”
The young woman gave them a sad shrug. “I know this looks bad, but it’s not what you think. I came down to search for the missing ledger. I wanted to prove it wasn’t Warren who was stealing.”
“Renee found it and gave it to us. There were pages missing.”
Amal’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t know. But you have to believe me, I only wanted to help.”
Sam moved to the window, peeking between the slats of the blinds, seeing Renee and Hank heading down the hill toward the house. “Yes, well, I’m not the one you’ll have to convince.”
Amal jumped up from her chair to look out the window. “Oh no. What do I tell them?”
“The truth,” Remi said.
She looked at them in desperation. “I can’t.”
“What about the market?” Sam asked.
“The market?”
Remi said, “When you took off on your own and knocked on that door.”
Amal seemed surprised she’d been caught. “I … When I found out that’s where he tried to sell the stolen artifact, I had to see for myself.”
The front door opened and she clamped her mouth shut. Hank stood at the threshold, Renee right behind him. “What’s going on?” Hank asked.
Remi smiled at them. “Amal was asking about the girls
back at the school and if they’d found Makao. She didn’t want her mother to overhear. For obvious reasons.”
Sam had no idea why his wife decided to defend Amal, but he wasn’t about to sideline her efforts. “We thought we’d have more privacy down here.”
“Without the lights?” Hank said, turning them on.
Renee moved past him, her focus on Amal. “You haven’t told your mother what happened?”
“How could I?” Amal said. “If she knew, she’d never let me out of her sight again.”
“True. I doubt she would,” Renee said. “And she’s going to figure out something if she discovers you’re not at the dinner.”
“She’s right,” Remi said. “We probably should have left this conversation until tomorrow.” She moved to Sam’s side. “Why don’t we head back up to the house before we’re missed.”
Thankfully, Nasha had kept Amal’s mother occupied, helping to serve dessert, and hadn’t noticed their absence, and Lazlo was still entertaining the two young men with treasure hunting stories. When the dinner ended and they bade their good-byes, Amal walked Sam, Remi, and Lazlo to their car. “Thank you for not saying anything.”