Page 58 of Stone
Chapter 31
Complicity
Brielle pressed a fist between her breasts and tried towillher heart to slow down. She was forced to take a moment and leaned against the side of the refrigerator as the impact of the past few minutes faded. As she took deep, calming breaths, she felt her adrenaline slowly seep out of her bloodstream.
She’d knownGarenthhadn’t leftthe apartment. Her biggest concern was for his safety. The last thing she’d expected was for him to take out the guy with such ruthless efficiency.
He’s a trained and seasoned soldier,she reminded herself.I guess he’s taken it upon himself to be my personal bodyguard.In spite of the language barrier, he’d managed to glean enough information to know the man was a danger when sheand the intruder had entered the apartment.
She winced, remembering the loud sound of the man’s wrist being broken. She shivered, recalling the way the back of the man’s hand rested against his arm. IfGarenthwas capable of such destruction bare-handed, she could imagine how lethal he would be with a weapon.
The buzzer sounded. She hurried over to answer it.
“Yes?”
“Police officer, ma’am. Did you call in an emergency?”
“Yes! I’m in apartment 2D.” She hit the button to allow the cop entry and opened the front door to greet him. Two officers pounded up the steps and entered. She pointed them to the bedroom.
“He’s in there. My boyfriend is standing guard over him.” She then indicated the pistol she’dset on the kitchen table. “That’s the gun he threatened me with to get inside.”
She followed the one officer who went into the bedroom.Garenthstood to one side as the policeman knelt to examine the unconscious intruder. “Do you know how his wrist got broken like this, Miss…”
“Van de Camp. Brielle Van de Camp. Yes.Garenthdisarmed him.”
She watched asthe officer stood and spoke toGarenth, and she hurried to intervene. “He doesn’t speak English.”
The other officer walked into the room to join them before Officer Number One had the chance to respond. “Pistol’s been fired. We’ll have to swab the suspect for residue.”
Brielle nodded. “He shot it whenGarenthdisarmed him.” She motioned to the wall where the bullethole was obvious. Thankfully it was not a connecting wall to the next apartment.
“This gentleman doesn’t speak English,” Officer Number One informed his partner.
Brielle hastened to explain, making up something on the spur of the moment. “He’s an adjunct with the Egyptian government. I work at the Natural History Museum, along with Dr. ChetKelling. We’re in the processof shipping several rare artifacts from a new dig, and Mr. Al-Emin,Garenth, is here to help oversee the shipment.”
“Is Dr.Kellingsponsoring his visa? We might need to see his passport.”
“You’ll have to speak with Dr.Kelling. He would know all that information.” The ramifications of what she’d told them began to loom in the back of her mind like a gathering thundercloud.
Officer Number One frowned, giving her the impression that he wasn’t quite buying her story aboutGarenth. “I thought you said he was your boyfriend.”
At least she was able to blush. “Well, it’s not a full-blown relationship. Not yet, anyway.”
“So you can speak his language?”
“Not exactly.” She held up her phone. “I use an app. It’s notperfect, but it manages to get the job done.”
“Care to tell us what happened here?” Officer Number Two inquired.
She told the men about how the guy had confronted her outside her apartment building and forced her inside at gunpoint. “He made me come in here, and that’s whenGarenthdisarmed him.”
“Mr. Al-Eminwas waiting in the bedroom?”
“He came out of the bathroom. I guess he was hiding in there.”
“He’s definitely going to need medical attention for that hand,” Officer Two remarked, and placed a call in for EMS on his shoulder mic.
“Did the intruder say or give any indication why you’d been targeted?” Officer Number One questioned. He’d pulled on a latex glove and was in the process of searching theguy’s pocket. There was no wallet, but he did pull out a plastic card, which he briefly examined before tossing it onto the floor.
