Flix bared his teeth. “And you want a shower.” He spat onto el-Habib’s chest. “How about that?”

He followed Charlie and el-Habib into the kitchen, the rear chair legs making a screeching sound like that of an animal in pain. Charlie set the chair down in front of Alice’s bloody corpse. The smell made el-Habib recoil.

“Too much for your sensitive nose, Saudi?” Charlie said. “Look how you’ve ruined two girls’ lives. You shot Beth and you left Alice with only despair.”

“I didn’t do this,” el-Habib said. “Is it my fault the girl was weak of will? I tell you now that Dante is coming with replacements. He was to take them back—”

“To what?” Charlie bent over him. “Where was Alice going to go? Who would take care of her?”

El-Habib looked straight ahead, his gaze firmly fixed on the far wall until Charlie grabbed a handful of his hair, pushed his head down so that he had no choice but to stare at the body.

When Whitman stepped into the room, el-Habib said, “Won’t you do something to stop her?”

“I told you, she’s a force of nature.” Whitman crossed to stand behind el-Habib. “On the other hand, someone here has to regain their senses. Let him go, Charlie.”

She glared at him, but he nodded, and she reluctantly let go. He began to slice through the cords binding the Saudi to the chair.

“You really think this is a good idea?” she said.

“I think it’s a great idea.”

El-Habib turned his head sideways, shot Charlie a wicked grin of triumph.

When the Saudi was free, Whitman ordered him to stand up. As soon as el-Habib complied, he said, “Now pick Alice up.”

The grin vanished from el-Habib’s face. “What?”

Whitman showed him the shovel he had found. “You’re going to dig graves, el-Habib, and then you’re going to place Alice and Beth in their final resting places. We will say prayers for the dead in which you will take part. You will ask Allah for mercy.” He shoved el-Habib forward. “And all the while you’re going to wonder which one of the graves is for you.”

Chapter 37

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