THE QUESTION SURPRISED HIM, so much so that he could not imagine what significance the fact that he had mentioned his daughter would have for Monroe and his companions to have come out of hiding so quickly.
— Is that more important than the brutal murders committed in the name of absurd knowledge?
Gregory Evans was furious. His temples ached from the pressure he was being subjected to.
— I'll repeat... Is Sephy here in Cairo? — Umbert insisted, now a little less patient.
— Fortunately, no — he finally replied. — She still believes her father is a good man who suffers in silence from a terminal illness. What I don't understand is why you made her travel from Germany if you were thinking of avoiding the meeting.
Monroe shook his head twice.
— Sephy isn't my daughter. Besides, she should be dead — he admitted coldly.
— Are you so cynical that you deny your own blood to this extent? — I couldn't believe it; I had never seen such an act of cruelty from a father.
— And you... are you so blind that you can't tell when someone is serious? — the architect asked, letting himself be carried away by the rapture.
— Enough! — Balkis exclaimed, stepping between them. — You'd better stop this.
— Please, Greg! Listen to what he has to say.
Giovanna's plea awakened the detective's common sense. He knew what he had to do, and there was no point in postponing the inevitable any longer.
— I'll do it if you promise to come back to Madrid with me — he pleaded. — After everything, I think I deserve it.
Giovanna felt guilty for having deceived him, but she had to make him see that the best thing was to stay together and face together the fascinating destiny that had been reserved for them.
— I would like to, I assure you, but first we should talk in private to clarify...
Umbert interrupted his niece because he was still waiting for the answer, which was taking a while.
— I insist once again, Greg... where is Sephy?
The boy, looking away from his inquisitor, gave in to the Master of Masters' repeated obstinacy.
— The last time I saw her, she was with Antonia Sala, a cryptographer hired by Giovanna to oversee the manuscript and anything we discovered... happy, now?
— Sephy is not his daughter — Hiram said at that moment, standing up. — This young lady lied to you and to the Master as well... didn't she, old friend?
Monroe grumbled under his breath.
— I just told him that, but he doesn't consider rational arguments! — he finally exploded. — Can't you see? You're blinded by prejudice. To him, we're just unscrupulous criminals, that's all. —
Gregory Evans let that last comment pass, after all, that was exactly what they really were.
— So, finally, the assassin you hired discovered your secret and has now turned around.
— Oh my God! — Giovanna wailed, approaching her uncle.
— She knows who you are... and where to find you.
— Which means he has deciphered the Toledo manuscript and that he intends to reach us — Balkis added gravely.
— That is, if he's not already here in the city.
— Can someone explain to me what this visceral fear for Sephy is? — Greg asked, not quite understanding what they were talking about.
A tense silence fell over the office. Only the Widow had the courage to respond.
— This young woman, named Sephy, is none other than the shop's hired killer... — she told him slowly, looking into his eyes with some regret. — She was the one who ended the life of your friend Viana and Clarice. And now she's coming here. I can feel it.
— If Balkis says so, no one can doubt his word — was the harsh comment of Hiram, who seemed to have found a reason for indignation, after so many years of temperance.
The detective was surprised to discover that this strange, pleasant-looking woman was the Queen of Sheba, whom Giovanna was supposed to replace, but he was shocked to learn that she was serious. If her statement was true, he, Antonia, and Colmenares had all made an irreparable mistake.
— So, that means... — he murmured ruefully.
— ... That she set a trap for you — Balkis finished the sentence, getting ahead of Gregory Evans' thoughts.
And that two new innocents are under the watchful eye of death. He reproached himself for having trusted that young woman, even when his first impression was that something didn't add up in her story. Antonia was guilty of taking her with her, but that didn't matter now, although it was necessary to prevent her from killing both Colmenares and Antonia. He had to warn them of the lethal danger they were in.
— I have to contact them — he said nervously, pulling a cell phone from his pocket. — I'll warn them before it's too late.
— You'd better not tell them where you are — was Monroe's icy advice. — That's all I ask.
Gregory Evans nodded in agreement as he dialed the numbers. His only thought at that moment was to warn the cryptographer about his protégé's double dealing, but after a few seconds he heard voice-mail. The phone was not working.
— Oh my gosh! — he protested angrily, biting back a curse. — It's off!
His eyes lingered on Giovanna's again, as if it was taking a lot of effort to believe that all of this was really happening.
— You and I have to talk... — Balkis approached Evans to hold his hand, then addressed his companions. — You'd better go. Hafid is outside with the car. He'll take me home.
— Just a moment! — the detective replied. — What's going to happen to Giovanna?
— Don't worry, you're in good hands — Monroe assured her, taking her niece by the arm.
— You can see her again tomorrow — Hiram added, turning his back to her to leave.