Page 87 of Sands of Sirocco
Stephen?
Just because Masry may not have kidnapped Helton and Victoria, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t involved with Stephen somehow.
And Masry was planning an attack.
Noah drove at a furious pace toward Cairo.Fortunately, Alastair had the money and means to buy a fast motorcar, which felt especially helpful as he passed the soldiers and tourists who bumped along the roads of Giza in their carriages and slower cars.They appeared carefree and bound for adventure.
How long it had been since Noah had thought of this land as an exciting place filled with the mysteries of the ancient world.Victoria was right.Egypt was in his blood.But he’d spent the better part of a decade in this country as an Englishman.He looked like his Irish father, but that part of his life had also been lost when his parents died.His aunt, who had married an Englishman, had taken him out of Ireland and done her best to stamp the Irish out.
Now, both the worlds he’d come from were at odds with the British government, simmering nationalist movements growing to a boil point.
As he was at odds with himself.
He’d become quite good at this temporary job.But he was aware of how finite it would be.
Enough.He didn’t have time to waste on sentimentality.Musing about a future that might not exist was also pointless.
When he reached Old Cairo, he’d been able to still his mind to a steady blank, one thing he appreciated about driving a car or riding a horse.He pulled into the alleyway behind Alastair’s house and parked.
Alastair answered the door immediately, which spoke to his constant awareness of company.He raised a brow.“And?”
“And …” Noah slipped inside the doorway.He stood in the dark foyer of Alastair’s house, his eyes adjusting to the relative darkness.
The foyer, one that led to a selection of doors.Alastair loved to cloak everything he did in secrecy, including any sort of visual hint where one was going.Noah knew from visiting so many times where most of the doors led, but not all.“Fisher is gone.There’s no trace of him.”
Alastair paled.“Did someone help him escape?”
“I saw no signs of struggle.No blood.The guards were gone, the entire place emptied.And this.”Noah handed him the note he’d found in Stephen’s cell.
Alastair’s eyes shifted as he scanned the note.His lips pursed.“Follow me.I have something to tell you.”
When they reached the top of the staircase, Alastair allowed Noah past him once again before he shut the door.From here, the house appeared to be perfectly normal and elegantly decorated, with high ceilings in the hallway that led to a beautiful carved wood staircase.But if one was invited to Alastair’s home, and few ever were, they’d find no front entrance.
Alastair saw him to the parlor, ordering tea from a servant along the way.As Noah settled into a chair, he unbuttoned the top button of his jacket.Alastair sat across from him, then offered Noah a cigarette.
Noah declined, a growing feeling of worry rising.Alastair seemed unsettled.“Has something else happened?”
“The man I had following Osborne for you—” Alastair removed a cigarette but didn’t light it.“He followed Osborne to the hospital.Shortly thereafter, I intercepted a wire.Captain Young is dead, Noah.”
Noah sank his head into one palm.Young had never been a friend of his, but he hadn’t wanted him to die either.And Young could help exonerate him.Had he told Osborne?Noah’s jaw clenched.“Osborne must be behind it.He wants to see me punished.”
If Osborne had gone to the extreme of killing Young, then he was dangerous.And potentially the enemy.
Alastair tapped his cigarette against the arm of his chair.“That was my thought.I have found out little about him.On the surface he appears admirable.He was a POW after Kut for a year, released in June after a prisoner exchange.He even has a few medals.”
Kut?That must be why Ginger had mentioned it.Noah thought back on the disastrous siege.He’d been a part of a group the government had sent to negotiate with the Turkish commander, General Pasha.They’d offered Pasha a bribe of a million pounds for the release of the troops, which had humiliatingly failed.Could Osborne know Noah had been involved?But even if he did, he couldn’t hold Noah personally responsible for the failure of that mission.Or any of the other events in Kut.
The soft sound of footsteps intruded on his thoughts.He lifted his head, expecting to see the servant returning with tea.Instead, Victoria came into the room.“I thought it might be you.Any news on my father?”
Noah and Alastair both stood at her presence.She sat on the sofa nearest to Alastair.“No,” Noah said, sitting once more.“In fact, it seems I’m further than before in my search.The Aleaqrab doesn’t appear to have your father at all and I think they may not have even been involved in your kidnapping.And Stephen has vanished.”
Victoria’s expression was blank.“Then who do you think is involved?”
Alastair watched her closely, his gaze analytical.“You might be the best clue we have about that, dear girl.Have you been doing those memory exercises I taught you?”
Victoria’s lips curled.“No, Alastair, and I’m not interested in reliving the experience just at the moment.”She drew a sharp breath, her eyes meeting Noah’s.“What do you have planned?”
“I don’t know.”Noah leaned back against the chair.“But I think it’s high time we tell the CID what’s been happening.I keep putting it off and it’s reckless.We can’t continue to fight Stephen alone.He’s winning.We need help.”
