‘Why do you have her phone?’

Ben replied, ‘I came into this situation by accident. Literally. We bumped into each other in the street, she dropped her phone and I was trying to return it.’

‘Do you actually expect me to believe that?’

‘It’s the truth.’

‘And yet it just so happens that you had a prior acquaintance with the man who killed her.’

‘Coincidence.’

‘I don’t believe in coincidences.’

‘Then maybe it was fate,’ Ben said. ‘He and I have unfinished business, going back.’

‘Going back to when and where?’ She studied him for a moment. ‘I get it. We’re talking about Daesh here. Radical Islam is to war and conflict what whipped cream is to strawberries. So you’re some kind of military person on the other side. You certainly have the look. And you speak Arabic pretty well, which makes you no ordinary soldier type. So maybe you’re from military intelligence. There’s an oxymoron if ever there was one.’

‘You show me yours, and I’ll show you mine,’ Ben said.

She smiled another of her cynical smiles. ‘That sounds like a fun game.’

‘Meaning, tell me what Romy said in her message, and I’ll tell you all about my acquaintance with the charming Mr Nazim al-Kassar.’

‘That’s his name? Al-Kassar?’

‘Don’t bother looking him up. You won’t find anything on him. Now, the message?’

She studied him for a moment longer, still not trusting him. Then replied, ‘All right. Let’s play.’ She reached into the tiny crocodile leather handbag next to her, took out her phone and spent a moment twiddling and scrolling to bring up her voice messages. She held the phone out to Ben.

‘Here. Listen.’

Chapter 24

Romy Juneau’s voice in her phone message sounded nervous and flustered, and she was talking so fast that she was almost tripping over her words.

‘Hello, my name is Jane Dieulafoy and I’m reaching out to you because I read an article you wrote and I have information. I work in the antiquities business and I have evidence of something bad happening within my company. A criminal enterprise. A conspiracy. I don’t even know what to call it.’

Then there was a pause before she went on, sounding even more agitated: ‘What they’re planning is terrible. I don’t know what to do, and I’m desperately hoping that you can help me. Something has to be done to stop the shipment. Please call me as soon as you can. I believe I’m in a lot of danger. I think they know. Please, I’m desperate for your help.’ Romy finished the message by giving her landline and mobile numbers.