Chapter 11 #2
“It was Lorenzo and Giorgio. The security cameras were taken out, so we can’t confirm who killed them. But for whatever reason, I think Tariq had them taken out. And I double-checked, Tariq is Kaira Zare’s brother.”
“What’s the rest of the bad news? Well, aside from my only lead being murdered.” Julia stood. “I can feel it coming.”
“Ario and Kaira Zare did have a meeting with Giorgio two days before he died, and they were on Giorgio’s schedule for plastic surgery.
But both surgeries were canceled,” Harper shared.
“They were scheduled for January eighth, and Ario was killed on the sixth. According to the doctor’s calendar, the procedure was canceled because Ario had died.
I need to try and get ahold of the coroner’s report, but . . .”
“Someone could’ve altered it? That’s what you’re going to say.” Julia’s shoulders collapsed.
“No, I was going to say that Giorgio kept before and after records on his clients. Along with their new identities. I guess he was a full-service shop, not just a face changer. I’m sure his clients didn’t know he kept such detailed records, though,” Harper delivered the news.
“There were no before and afters for Ario.”
“So, you’d been hoping the cancellation note on the schedule for Ario was a ruse, and for some reason, he went through with the operation without his wife?” Julia asked. “But since there’s no new identity listed for Ario, you don’t think it’s possible.”
Harper nodded and asked in a low tone, “And you’re sure your friend didn’t really kill his boss?”
“No, he would never do that. I don’t care what the report says. All lies. Oliver is a good man. There has to be something I’m missing. Maybe it’s related to the wife’s brother, Tariq.”
“Since you accessed Giorgio’s calendar, who was he supposed to meet here in Egypt?” Finn asked, trying to keep the conversation moving in a direction that wouldn’t have Julia feeling helpless or without hope.
“It wasn’t Tariq. Well, let’s put it this way, I don’t think Giorgio knew he was meeting with Tariq,” Harper responded.
“What do you mean?” Julia asked.
“I have to do some more digging, but I think Tariq used an alias to draw out Giorgio. Then he changed the meeting location at the last minute. Did Giorgio look surprised or uneasy at all when you saw him talking to Tariq in the lobby yesterday?”
Finn thought back to that moment, but he’d been so shocked to see Tariq with the doctor he’d lost his focus. “I don’t remember.” He turned to Julia. “You?”
“Maybe. I-I don’t know.”
“What I’d like to know is why a man with Tariq’s status and reputation felt the need to use an alias to get a meeting? Wouldn’t Giorgio have jumped at the chance to help him? Big name, lots of money.” Finn hoped Harper already had an idea or two on that matter.
Harper crossed her arms and let go of a light breath. “Unless Giorgio had a reason to fear him.”
“Wait, what if Giorgio did perform the surgery and Ario is really alive? And when Tariq confronted him in the lobby, he panicked and altered his files on Ario, expecting Tariq would want to see them?” Julia quickly proposed.
“Maybe Tariq began to have suspicions that Ario was still alive, and he tracked down Giorgio for Ario’s alias.
” There was energy in her voice. Shoulders back with hope.
“I doubt Giorgio would be stupid enough to believe Tariq would simply take a peek at his records, discover the surgery was canceled, and be satisfied with that information.” Harper looked to the ceiling for a moment.
“Tariq may not believe Ario is really dead for whatever reason, and maybe he tortured Giorgio to find out what he knows.” Harper paused as if continuing to deliberate the theory.
“There’s a big time gap between Ario’s supposed death and now, though.
So, either Tariq only recently found reason to believe Ario faked his death, or he had a hard time getting Giorgio to meet with him,” Harper pointed out.
“I’m leaning toward option one if that’s the case. ”
“Fuck, I don’t know what to think.” Finn grimaced. “But we’ll figure this all out,” he told Julia. “It’s what we do.” His words earned a surprised look from Harper. A “you’re saying too much” kind of stare.
Before Finn could respond, Julia’s phone rang from the bedside table, startling her. As she went to grab it, Finn exchanged a quick look with Harper, who peered at him with sad, apologetic eyes.
“It’s my brother,” Julia said, looking down at the screen.
“Calling this late? Something wrong?” she asked Julia.
“He doesn’t know I’m here. It’s six hours earlier in New York.”
“Right.” Harper frowned, and from the looks of it, her nerves were on point with Finn’s.
“Hey.” Julia turned her back to them and answered, her tone guarded as if worried her big brother was on the brink of catching her in a lie.
Phone to her ear, Julia listened quietly for a few moments before she abruptly swung around to face Finn, her eyes wide. In one surprisingly fast move, she dropped to her knees. Finn rushed to her side and dropped in front of her, catching her by the elbow as the phone fell to the floor.
“You’re going to need to fill him in.” Finn handed the phone to Harper, and he waited for her to leave the room before pulling Julia toward him and cradling her in his arms. “What is it? What’d he say?”
She looked up at him as he looped her arms over his shoulders, her face near his. Eyes shimmering with the threat of tears. “He said the Saudis made a deal with law enforcement in Dubai to have him transferred and executed there.”
“What?”
“He’s being moved to Saudi Arabia in a week,” she cried. “Michael said once Oliver is in Saudi Arabia, the chance of helping him before it’s too late is next to none.” Her eyes fell closed as tears began to roll down her cheeks. “Oliver’s going to die, isn’t he?”
And damn, that bit of hope she’d had moments before had now been extinguished from her eyes.