“I don’t—”
He held up a hand. “Before you lie to me, consider who you’re speaking with. I have a great many resources at my disposal, I’m well-connected, and I have the funds to employ however much manpower I need in order to get what I want. I only need to say the word, and your husband is dead. I’m in control, not you.” He dropped his hand and regarded me shrewdly. “Now, do you want to reevaluate your response and adjust accordingly?”
His unwavering stare unnerved me, while the panic I felt over Whit’s safety made me break out in a cold sweat. This man was a liar, a murderer. All my instincts were screaming at me to get out of this room and run for my life. But I couldn’t—not without ensuring Whit would be safe from Mr. Sterling’s plans.
“You’re very confident in my sleuthing,” I said. “Suppose I don’t know where my mother is.”
“Oh, but I think that you have some idea.”
“And if I were to share this idea, how do I know that you’ll leave Whit and me alone?”
“Because you don’t have any other options,” Mr. Sterling said. “You’ve reached the end of the road,Inez.”
I lifted my chin. “If you hurt Whit, I will never tell you what I know. If you kill me, then you’re back where you started. I think you need me more than you’re letting on,Mr. Sterling.”
His dark eyes gleamed with emotion—one I couldn’t interpret. He almost appeared to be entertained, as if enjoying a friendly competition.
“All right, Señorita Olivera. What are your terms?”
“First, I’d like to remove myself, and my husband, entirely from this situation,” I said. “After today, I never want to see you again.”
“What else?”
“Second, I’d like all the artifacts my mother and Mr. Fincastle stole returned to the antiquities department. Hopefully, they will make these storied objects accessible for all, though I have a suspicion that won’t be the case. However, better the artifacts and Cleopatra herself are in the hands of the government than sold, piece by piece, to the highest bidder.”
Mr. Sterling opened his mouth to reply, but just then, he was overtaken by a fit of coughing. He pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped his lips. Before it disappeared, I caught sight of blood on the fabric.
“You’re ill,” I said.
“I’m ill,” he confirmed. His expression remained devoid of any emotion. “Is that all you want?”
“In exchange for the location of your enemy? Absolutely not,” I scoffed. “Third, my uncle has been charged with the theft of Cleopatra’s sarcophagus and all of the artifacts residing in her tomb on Philae. We both know my mother and her lover, Mr. Fincastle, were responsible. Once you find my mother, I want you to send her to Cairo where she will face judgment for her crimes so that my uncle and his business partner will go free and have their reputations restored.”
“But I don’t want Lourdes in prison,” Mr. Sterling said mildly. “I want her dead,andher annoying associate.”
“Then we don’t have a bargain,” I said firmly. “The authorities will need her alive for questioning, and I won’t share what I know if you can’t guarantee my mother will make it to Cairo alive.” I stood up, smoothing my skirt, and gave him a wintry gaze I hoped would freeze any protest he might make. “Now, take me back to the hotel.”
Mr. Sterling regarded me thoughtfully, and then he said, “Sit back down, please.”
The mildness of his tone alarmed me. It would have been better if he’dshouted; then I could have truly understood who I was dealing with. Still, I kept my chin raised, my shoulders straight, and shook my head. “I demand to be taken to my hotel.”
“You’ll want to hear what I have to say. I think you might be pleased with the counteroffer,” he said. “Now, will you sit?”
“No. I insist you take me back and—” I broke off, my curiosity flaring. “What is it?”
He nodded as I sank down onto the sofa. I eyed the empty teacup wistfully, wishing I hadn’t been quite so stubborn. I was thirsty, but I would be damned if I asked for something to drink now.
Mr. Sterling leaned forward and poured himself whiskey from a decanter on the coffee table, next to the pot of tea. “I will allow your mother to rot in prison, and I will force her to reveal where she has hidden Cleopatra and her cache. But Inez? I will keep it all.”
My lips thinned. “That is not—”
“Think it through. You and your husband will be kept safe; your uncle and his business partner will be freed and vindicated.”
I tried to protest, but he held up his hand.
“Furthermore, I will personally see to it that your aunt and her daughter, along with your cousin’s body, are safely returned to Argentina. Do not forget that you have made enemies here, Inez.”
My breath whooshed out of me, and the memory of Elvira dying flooded my mind. I had fought so hard not to remember her lying on the sand, her face destroyed by a single bullet.
