Page 39 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope
"So, he was the scholarly type?"
Kalugal paused to think and reflect. "He was an observer. Someone who enjoyed watching and listening but didn't like to participate. I didn't know back then that we weren't related by blood, and I hoped for a relationship with him, but he was always a little aloof."
"His loss," Annani said softly. "Having you as a friend would have been a valuable asset to him."
Kalugal nodded. "That being said, none of Navuh's sons were close to each other. They were competitors, so Darien didn't trust me even after I freed him from Navuh's compulsion and told him my plans. I think he only started to trust me when I let him go and didn't try to stop him. I promised my men freedom, and that included freedom to choose their own paths. They were not obligated to stick with me, but most chose to stay."
"Do you know where Darien went?" Annani asked.
"He said that he wanted to travel the world. I told him to stay away from countries my father had influence over, but I know that he didn't listen. He called me from Iran right when the revolution was happening, and the place was probably crawling with members of the Brotherhood. After I scolded him for being irresponsible, he stopped calling."
Annani nodded. "He did not want to be told what to do. Would you be able to locate him?"
"If he kept the same fake name I bought for him, I might be able to do so, especially if he returned to America. But if he's still roaming the world, I doubt it."
"Would you give it a try? It would mean a lot to your mother, even though she can't tell Darien's mother about it. As you know, no one on the island other than Tula is privy to our secret communication."
"I'll do my best to find him," Kalugal said. "Or at least what happened to him. For my own curiosity as much as for my mother's."
Darien had been smart, capable, and determined. If he'd wanted to disappear completely, he would have succeeded. But he might have retained the fake identity Kalugal had secured for him. Ithadn't been cheap, and it had come with a US passport. Darien would have been a fool to discard it.
After leaving Annani's home, Kalugal pulled out his phone. "Call Preston," he told the device.
The phone rang three times before a cultured British voice answered. "This is Preston King. How can I help you?"
"Hello, Preston. This is Professor Gunter. How have you been?"
"Professor!" Preston's voice lost its formal tone. "I haven't heard from you in years."
"Indeed. I think the last time we worked together was over a decade ago. I need your services again."
"Of course. Anything for you."
Kalugal stifled a chuckle. He'd never met Preston face to face, but he'd used his services several times and had provided generous bonuses when the people he had been looking for had been found quickly. The promise of those bonuses ensured that Preston would drop any case he was working on at the moment to work on whatever Kalugal needed from him.
"I'm looking for a guy who used to go by the name of Darien Croft. I will email you a copy of his passport when I get back to my office, but I'm not sure he is still using that identity. I don't know what he does for a living these days, but he might be working as a translator or a historian."
He couldn't give the detective more information without the guy becoming suspicious of Darien's age. As it was, Kalugal would have to explain why he was looking for someone who was supposed to be seventy-seven by the date of birth listed on hispassport but looked twenty-five, exactly the same age that he was when the passport had been issued in 1952.
The other option was to give the task to Roni, but the guy was always swamped with work, and it would take him a while even to start the search.
16
TAMIRA
The moment Eluheed closed the door to Tamira's room, she attacked the buttons of his shirt, but instead of responding in kind, he placed a gentle finger over her lips and leaned close to her ear.
"We need to talk," he whispered.
Nodding, she climbed onto the bed, pulling him with her. They lay facing each other, heads close on the same pillow, creating an intimate cocoon where whispers could be exchanged under the cover of lovers' passion.
"What is it?" she breathed against his ear, her hand resting on his chest where she could feel his heartbeat.
"I found it," he whispered back, his lips grazing her ear. "The tunnel entrance is hidden behind a bookshelf in Navuh and Areana's bedroom."
Her heart skipped a beat. They'd known about the tunnel's existence not only from his vision but from figuring out the practicality of Navuh traversing the distance between hismansion and the harem every day without passing through the gates.
"Did you go inside?" she asked.
