"Yes, you are, you're a spy, and you joined the fair because you knew Dominic and Milos were the murderers. Roxy and I figured it all out."
"You must stop now and walk in single file before me," Dominic demanded in a louder tone of voice.
"You and Roxy are not entirely right."
"But we're partially right, which means you're a spy!"
"I am not a spy."
"Well, I know that story Dominic told me isn't true. I certainly don't believe you went to prison for raping some woman!"
"Now, it is now we will be marching. St. John, you will proceed first." Dominic took a step nearer me and waved his gun at Raphael.
"Perhaps you would care to explain why you've been trying to protect me from the police if you knew the story was untrue?" Raphael answered me with a decidedly disgruntled look on his face.
I shook my finger at him. "I wasn't trying to protect you from that, you great lummox, I was trying to keep the police from arresting you because you were a spy and couldn't tell them who you really were."
"I AM NOT A SPY!"
"I will not be ignored! You will do as I say. NOW!"
"Ha!" I said, raising my chin to glare at Raphael. "If you're not a spy, what are you? You admitted you're investigating the murders. You're not a policeman because you're not Czech, and there is no international police force that works through… different"—the words came to a stop as I stared at him—"countries. What's in Lyon?"
Raphael's jaw tightened as his eyes closed for a moment.
"YOU WILL STOP SPEAKING NOW AND… Lyon?" Dominic stopped bellowing to approach us warily, his eyes narrowed as he held the gun on Raphael. "Lyon, mon ange, is where you can find the headquarters of Interpol. How very interesting I suddenly find this conversation. Interpol… of course. That would explain so much."
"Interpol?" I asked Raphael. "You're with Interpol? Like a detective?"
He ignored me, keeping his eyes on Dominic.
Dominic stared back at him. "The only thing I do not understand is how you knew I would hire you in Marseilles. Your record—which I assume now was false, yes?—was not one that would lend itself to employment."
"I assumed that in your case, a history of violence toward women would act as a reference rather than a deterrent," Raphael answered, his eyes boring a hole through Dominic's head. He had let go of my hand, but I could tell his muscles were tense with anticipation. I suspected he was waiting for Dominic to get close enough that he could jump him. I know that was my plan.
"You know me well," Dominic acknowledged, then waved the gun toward the entrance to the main cave. "You will please do as I say now before I am forced to shoot your kneecap."
"Ha!" I snorted, much braver than I felt, stepping carefully down the path. Raphael moved behind me, but Dominic stopped us and ordered him to go first.
"I will keep our fiery one here where she is safe, yes? With her as a hostage, I am assured that you will not try to act the hero again."
"Where is your gun?" I whispered to Raphael out of the side of my mouth as he moved past me to take the lead.
"In my trailer," he answered just as quietly.
I glared at him. "Some detective you are. No knife, no gun. I bet you're going to be drummed out of Interpol for this."
"I'm not a detective, I'm a liaison," he answered, giving me another warning look. "And you're closer to the truth than you know."
I followed behind him, Dominic holding one of my hands twisted behind my back.
"Should have taken care of him when I had the chance," I grumbled to myself as we entered the cool air of the main cave.
Dominic told Raphael to go to the right, toward the boat dock. I honestly think if Dominic had pointed the gun at him, Raphael would have disarmed him, but with the cold barrel of the gun resting on the back of my neck, Dominic was right—I was a hostage for Raphael's compliance.
As we passed the entrance, the sound of footsteps on the wood pathway reached us. "Stand there, against the wail," Dominic hissed, pushing me to Raphael. "Do not move from there or I'll kill her."
He backed up a few feet, one eye on us, the other watching to see who would come along the curved pathway. The footsteps were growing louder.
"This doesn't look good," I told Raphael as I hugged him tightly. His arms squeezed the breath right out of me. "I think I'm going to call for help."
"No one can hear you this deep in the cave, Joy."
"Christian will," I said, tracing a finger along his eyebrows. "I've just found you, Interpol Bob. I'm not going to lose you now."