Page 76 of The Fighter
“Okay.” I shrugged like it was no big deal but in reality, I was disappointed and wanted to pressure him with more questions.
We circled each other and he made an attack that I blocked before asking, “What do you think happened to Dina? Do you think she killed herself?”
“Not a chance.Magni and I always knew that there was no way Dina would have fallen out of a window; she wasn’t stupid or reckless, and it seemed weird that she was in an attic to begin with.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Magni thinks it was her husband who killed her, but I disagree.”
My eyes widened. “Really?”
Khan narrowed his eyes. “There’s something you need to understand about us Nmen, Raven. It’s obvious that my father didn’t think Henry killed Dina. If he thought so, my father would have executed him in public.”
“So, how do you explain Henry dying so close to Dina? How can you know your father wasn’t responsible for his death?”
“You misunderstand. I’m sure my dad was responsible for Henry’s death, but there’s a difference between having someone killed and killing them yourself. Henry died because of what he failed to do, not because of what he did.”
I tilted my head. “You mean he failed to protect Dina.”
“Yes.” Khan raised an eyebrow. “Henry failed to protect my sister and for that alone, my father would have him killed.”
“But if Henry didn’t kill Dina, then who did?”
Khan stood still and lowered his hands as he told me, “I blame my dad for Dina’s death. He might not have killed her with his bare hands, but I know he was being blackmailed, and I believe it was the blackmailers who killed Dina in an attempt to get my dad to comply with their demands.”
“How do you know this?”
Khan huffed out air. “Some days before she died, I overheard a heated argument between my father and his best friend Zobel. It was unusual for them to fight. Mr. Zobel was one of the few who knew how to handle my father’s violent temper, and they had been best friends since childhood. What was even more unusual was that Zobel was accusing my dad of being weak.”
“Do you know why?”
“The details weren’t clear to me, but Mr. Zobel wanted my dad to kill someone.”
“Kill Dina?”
Khan shook his head and frowned. “No, of course not. It wasn’t about her. Someone was trying to blackmail my father and Mr. Zobel wanted him to slam his fist down and kill the bastard right away.” Khan scratched his shoulder. “If he hadn’t been weak, Dina might still be alive.”
“You think she was killed by the blackmailer?”
“Yes, who else? That’s why I never go easy on threats. I think Dina became an innocent victim in a game of politics. Someone wanted power over my dad and when he didn’t yield, they killed Dina to make him comply.”
My eyes were wide open. This opened up a whole new level of potential villains in my case. “And do you think Marcus complied with their demands after that?”
“No way! If my father taught me anything it’s that a ruler can never show weakness. I’m sure Dina’s death was a harsh reminder to him and that he killed whoever was responsible.” Khan shrugged and looked down. “I just wish he had done it sooner.”
“Do you happen to know the identity of the blackmailer?”
“No.”
“Do you think Mr. Zobel had anything to do with Dina’s death?”
“He was very loyal to my father.” Khan shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “It was Zobel who helped my dad to power and he was awarded for it many times over. There’s no way he would have hurt Dina.”
I cleared my throat.
“But isn’t Mr. Zobel the man who was executed for treason years ago?”
“Yes.”
