Was everyone in Stonefish playing each other? It didn’t seem to be a great way to run a business.
“Nhiari brought him in,” Dot said.
Nhiari braced herself as Rodney’s gaze fell on her. Her skin prickled at his derisive sneer and the dismissive up and down scan. “Rodney,” she acknowledged.
“You’ve finally come out of hiding?”
Why did it have to be him on this case? She brushed aside the useless thought. “We have information which might be useful to your case.”
“Doubtful. Lee’s been out of the game since he fled after shooting Tan.”
Was Rodney trying to convince them, or was that what he believed?
“I’ve kept my eye on things,” Lee said.
“The Stokes have something Lucas Fitton wants,” Dot said, getting to the heart of the matter.
“What’s that?”
Brandon opened the backpack in front of him. “This.” He tipped the coins and jewels out on the table.
Rodney’s eyes bugged out of his head, and Nhiari smiled. Finally, something that shut him up.
“Where did you get it?”
“It was uncovered during the storm,” Dot told him. “We believe it was originally on board the ship Oliver has been examining.”
“And you were going to keep it?” Rodney asked Brandon.
“No. We’ve been waiting to figure out what to do with it. We suspected Stonefish wanted it and we weren’t sure who to trust. We only told Dot about it today.”
That was a lie, but probably for the best. Nhiari and Dot had discovered the Stokes had it on the day Lee had kidnapped her.
“Why would Stonefish want the treasure?” Rodney asked. “They’re a billion dollar company.”
“Because Lucas’s ancestor was on board the Retribution when it sank,” Lee said. “They found part of the treasure then, and he set up Stonefish with his cut. He sees the rest of the treasure as his.”
Rodney assessed Lee. “Why should we believe you? You’re working for him.”
Nhiari lifted a hand towards her braid and dropped it again, conscious of not showing her nerves.
“Nhiari offered me a deal if I helped her catch Lucas,” Lee lied.
“She doesn’t have the authority,” Rodney said. “And you’re smart enough to know that.”
Lee shrugged. “Maybe I was tired of being Lucas’s lackey. Nothing I said made any difference and Clark made a complete mess of what I was trying to do here. Everyone I’ve come across is incompetent. Why should I let them take me down?”
The nonchalance in his stance, the uncaring tone in his voice, everything pointed towards a man beyond caring any longer. He was so convincing that Nhiari again questioned her feelings.
Why did he have to be such a good actor?
“I need to interview Lee,” Rodney said. “I’ll take him into the station.”
“No,” Dot said. “Lucas can’t know he’s here. You can use the lounge.” She gestured down the hallway.
“This is highly irregular,” Rodney blustered.
“I didn’t need to bring you in on this, Rodney,” Dot reminded him. “You do it my way.”
