he checked in twenty minutes ago. But he didn’t call back after contacting Kimbro.” He paused. “And he didn’t answer when Absar called.”
“So you called Kimbro,” she said shakily.
“Twice.”
“You said that.” She moistened her lips. “Something must have happened. We should call the police or an emergency number.” She rubbed her temple. “No, not the police. Stupid. We just robbed the damn police. The medical-emergency number. I think it’s 123 in Cairo.”
“My people will be faster. When they couldn’t contact Nassem, I told them to get over to Kimbro’s apartment right away. They should be arriving any minute.”
“Efficient. You’re always so efficient, Novak.” She was having trouble concentrating on what she was saying. All she could think about was Kimbro. “You called him. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were already worried. There was no use making it worse until I was sure that it was necessary. It could have been anything. It didn’t have to be—” He stopped. “We’re still not sure what problem they might have run into. We won’t know until Absar’s team gets there.”
“But you have an idea, don’t you?” She drew a deep breath. “Of course, we both do. But he didn’t think he was followed, Novak.”
“And he might not have been. If they had an ID on him after he took the tapes, they might have just gotten his address and been there waiting for him to show. Or his tail might have been very, very good.”
“He might not have had to be that good. Kimbro was cocky. Piece of cake.” She could feel her eyes stinging. “He said it was a piece of cake.”
He muttered a curse. “We don’t know, Jill.”
She nodded. “We have to wait. You’re right, we should find out soon.” Keep control. Novak was being his usual professional self, and she had to follow his lead. But it was so hard. She linked her arms around her drawn-up knees and held them tight. “I told him to hold off, and I’d get him help, but he thought he could do it without any help. Cocky. He’s always so cocky. And he had the deal made before I even knew it. I should have known he’d do something like that. I should have expected it.”
“Shut up,” he said roughly. “I can see where this is going, and I’m not letting you take either one of us there. It could be okay, Jill. I’ll get a report from Nassem or Absar any minute, and we’ll—”
His phone rang. “It’s Absar.”
She stiffened, her eyes flying to Novak’s face as he answered the call. Whoever Absar was, he was spitting out words as soon as Novak answered, not giving him a chance to reply. Her gaze was focused desperately on Novak’s face as he listened, but his expression told her nothing. “The tapes?” he asked once.
Still no expression.
Then, evidently, he was asked a question because he did answer. “No, don’t wait. Take care of it. It has to be clean.” He cut the connection.
She sat up straight, her gaze on his face. “Not good,” she said jerkily. “Though I don’t know how I can tell. I never know what you’re thinking. Kimbro?”
“Dead.”
She couldn’t breathe. She felt as if she’d been kicked in the stomach.
“Dammit!” Suddenly Novak was on his knees beside her. His face contorted, his hands grasping her shoulders. “I had to say it fast and hard and get it over with. I know you. I couldn’t play around with it when you knew it was coming.”
“Yes, I knew it was coming,” she said stiltedly. “I was just hoping I was wrong.”
“Well, you weren’t wrong.” She was suddenly pulled into his arms, his hand on the back of her head, her face buried in his chest. “Kimbro’s dead. Nassem’s dead. Both found in Kimbro’s apartment. Stop shaking. I can’t take it.”
Jill couldn’t take it either. She was clutching desperately at him. He seemed to be the only warmth in her world right now. “How?”
“Will you let me tell you later?”
“No. Now.”
“The attack was probably made when Kimbro opened the door for Nassem. It appeared to be an assault from the rear. Absar thinks they might have been waiting in a vacant apartment down the hall for their chance to go after Kimbro. Nassem was almost decapitated by a knife blow to the back of his neck.” He paused. “Or possibly a machete.”
Machete…
“Kimbro?”
“Same weapon. Two blows to the chest and abdomen, one kill blow to the throat. It had to be fast, he would have bled