Page 62 of Ancient Obsession

“What do you think you haven’t done?”

Oliver unclenched his jaw. “If you’re trying to get me to slip up and confess, you’ll have to work a bit harder.”

Carter sighed and opened a folder. He started laying out photos, carefully watching Oliver’s reactions.

They were disturbing, horrific. Vera’s body lay in a bathtub, one arm at an impossible angle, her bruised and bloodied legs hanging over the side. Blood splattered the tile surround and covered the inside of the tub. Her throat was nearly black with bruising, head unnaturally canted to one side. Open and lifeless eyes stared out at him.

“Oh my God.” Oliver turned away, stomach clenching and bile burning the back of his throat. He could still see the photos, even with his eyes shut. “I—I was just talking to her.”

“We know. She made a video of you and your little sidekick telling her to let you into the room.”

Anger surged, quick and hot. He glared across the table. “We weren’t telling her. We were asking her. We left the door open so she would feel safer, and we agreed to let her make a video of everything. Did you watch it all the way through? Did you see how Dylan threatened me? Have you questioned him? He’s a hell of a lot stronger than me and seems to have quite the temper.”

“We did watch it. And we saw you threaten him as well.”

“Threaten him? I didn’t threaten anyone!”

Carter sat back, hands flat on the table. “Do you lose your temper like this often?”

Oliver clasped his hands on the table. He mentally counted to ten. His leg had been bouncing under the table, and he stilled it. One day at a time, one hour at a time, even one minute at a time. He dropped his hands to his thighs. “No. I do not. And I did not lose my temper with any of the people in that room. I’m not a murderer, and I didn’t steal Amenmose’s body.”

“Who?”

“The mummy. That was his name.”

“Uh huh.”

“Have you talked with Dylan?”

“We have. And we’re going to bring your friend in for questioning as well.”

“Robin has nothing to do with this, either. Leave them alone.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Oliver shook his head. “They didn’t do anything.”

“Uh huh. Care to tell me why someone saw you and your fiancé poking around behind the library the night anyone last heard from Samira Farouk?”

“What? I didn’t know that. She’s missing?” Sweat slicked the small of his back at the lie, his armpits stinging with it.

“She is. Sure you don’t know anything about that?”

He decided it would be easier to admit being there to meet her. “I don’t know about her missing, but she did leave a note on my car while I was being questioned here at the station. She wanted to meet me outside the library but didn’t say why. When Dave and I got there, we didn’t see her.”

“I see. No sign of her at all?”

“We called her name but didn’t find her. We even went around behind the library in case she wanted to meet up back there, but she was nowhere in sight. Do you know where she is?”

“Interesting you went behind the library to look for her. Guess where we found her phone?”

Oliver swallowed hard. “I don’t know.”

“In the woods behind the library.” Carter leaned back again. “Why would you go to the back of the library?”

“I told you, we thought she might have meant for us to meet her back there.”

“There aren’t any good meeting places back there.”