‘Tell them,’ Margot Segal urged her husband. ‘We need to know everything, Julien.’

‘And I have nothing to hide any longer,’ Segal replied, collecting himself. ‘Not any more. So here it is. The whole truth.’

Chapter 46

Segal said, ‘It all began years ago. Back in 2015, I spent some time working in Syria with a colleague called Salim Youssef. A wonderful man whom I loved and respected very much. He was really a mentor to me, almost a father figure. His passion for ancient art and treasures was one of the reasons I got into this business in the first place.’

Roth hadn’t spoken a word until now, but he’d been listening carefully. ‘Salim Youssef was murdered by Daesh forces, during their big push across Iraq and Syria in 2015, right before they established the new Caliphate.’

Segal frowned, and his eyes became misty and faraway as he relived the moment from his past. ‘I was there, right at his side when it happened. We were in an ancient temple outside Palmyra. Everyone else had fled, knowing that the jihadist army was advancing closer every minute. Salim and I were desperately trying to evacuate as many artifacts as we could from the temple, because we knew all too well what those vandals would do to these priceless treasures in the name of religious supremacy. We had already managed to transport some in Salim’s small truck to a hiding place nearby, in the hope that we could return afterwards to rescue them. A vain one, probably, but we had to try. Anyhow, we were too late. Before we could reload the truck, a group of Islamist soldiers arrived and entered the temple. Nine of them, heavily armed, the leader dressed in black. They understood exactly what we were doing, and demanded to know where we’d hidden the remainder of the artifacts.’

Ben could tell where the story was going. ‘And Salim refused to tell them.’

‘Oh, yes. He was the bravest man I ever knew. You should have seen the way he stood up to them right to the end, denouncing them as savages and betrayers of their faith. To my shame, I had no such courage. I was completely paralysed with dread.’ Segal paused to reflect sadly, then went on: ‘They made us kneel on the temple floor. The leader took out his knife. I remember it so clearly. He … he decapitated Salim.’

Margot was staring at her husband with wide eyes. ‘Julien, you never told me any of this. You seemed upset when you came back from Syria, but I thought it was just because of the invasion.’