The Heretic’s Treasure. Scott Mariani

for dinner. If your answer is no, then no hard feelings. If it’s a yes, I’d like you to check out of your hotel and bring your luggage here. I already have a luxury cabin prepared for you. Stay here the night, and I’ll brief you more fully before you leave for Cairo.’

      Ben didn’t reply. He was already working it over in his mind.

      ‘Thank you again for coming all this way,’ Paxton said. ‘It was good to see you again, whatever happens.’ He stood up.

      At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

      ‘Excuse me.’ Paxton strode over and opened it. Marla was standing there. She was holding a phone in her hand. In the other was a neatly folded navy blue cotton jacket. Ben recognised it as his.

      ‘I’m sorry to interrupt,’ she said. ‘It’s Kazamoto,’ she added quietly.

      Paxton tutted under his breath. He took the phone from her. ‘This might take a minute,’ he said to Ben.

      ‘I’ll see you on deck,’ Ben replied.

      He left the study with Marla. ‘How’s Kerry?’ he asked her out in the passage.

      ‘Resting,’ Marla replied. ‘She had quite a shock, didn’t she?’ She handed him his jacket. ‘She won’t be needing this any more. I gave her something to wear.’

      ‘That was kind of you.’

      ‘Kind nothing. You’re the one who saved her. A lot of people would have looked the other way.’ She smiled. ‘Anyway, I’ll go and check on her again, now that your meeting’s over.’

      He thanked her, and headed towards the deck, jacket in hand. His legs felt heavy as he made his way back up the companionway. He stepped outside into the sunshine. The sea was shimmering blue, a gentle swell rocking the deck under his feet. He walked to the rail and looked out to the horizon. Reached into his jacket pocket for his Gauloises and Zippo. He slipped out one of the untipped cigarettes and lit up.

      ‘Hello again,’ a voice said.

      He turned.

      Zara Paxton was standing there. She’d let her hair down to her shoulders. It was waving in the breeze, catching the sunlight. She reached up with a slender hand to flick a curl of it away from her face and smiled, showing perfect white teeth. A twinkle of fun in her blue eyes.

      He caught himself staring and glanced down at his feet, suddenly self-conscious.

      ‘We weren’t introduced,’ she said with a soft laugh. He could just about detect the Australian accent in her warm voice.

      ‘Mrs Paxton.’ He held out his hand, and she shook it. Her hand was warm and tender, but strong.

      ‘Please, call me Zara.’

      ‘Ben Hope,’ he said.

      ‘Harry calls you Benedict.’

      ‘Just Ben is fine.’

      ‘Well, it’s good to meet you, Just Ben.’ Her gaze flicked down to the cigarette in his hand. ‘Can I have a puff?’

      Her familiarity took him aback. ‘You can have a whole one, if you like.’

      She grinned. ‘No, just a quick puff. Harry can’t stand me smoking on board. Or anyone.’

      ‘I’ll bear that in mind.’ He offered her the cigarette, and their fingers brushed as she took it from his hand. She put it to her lips and took a drag on it, then passed it back to him. ‘Thanks.’

      For a few moments he couldn’t think of anything more to say to her. There was a light in her eyes that he just wanted to stare at. Seconds went by, silence between them.

      He finally broke it. ‘I watched you shoot earlier. Hope you don’t mind. You’re very good.’

      She smiled. ‘I try.’

      ‘Australian Open champion.’

      ‘Missed out on the Olympics,’ she said. ‘Need to do better.’

      Another awkward moment of silence passed. ‘So you were in the SAS with Harry?’ she asked. ‘You’re the first of his regimental comrades I’ve met.’

      He shrugged. Didn’t say anything.

      ‘You don’t like to talk about the army, do you?’

      Her insight, her sudden serious look, took him aback. ‘Not really.’

      ‘You didn’t like it?’

      ‘I didn’t like what it stood for,’ he replied truthfully. ‘That’s why I left, in the end. But I didn’t always feel that way. I loved it once. It meant everything.’ Ben surprised himself with the way he was so open with her. He didn’t generally discuss such things.

      ‘Harry speaks very highly of you.’ She paused. ‘He told you about his son? So terrible.’ She shook her head sadly.

      ‘Did you know Morgan well?’

      ‘Not that well,’ she said. ‘I only met him a few times. He and Harry didn’t always see eye to eye. And I think Morgan had a problem with having a step-mother who was two years younger than him.’ She paused. ‘I know what it is Harry wants you to do.’

      That surprised him. ‘You do?’

      ‘He told me. He just can’t bring himself to go there and do it himself

      Ben didn’t reply.

      ‘It must be so hard to visit the place where your son was murdered,’ she went on. And to try to find his belongings.’

      That was all Paxton had told her. Ben wondered how she’d react if she knew the rest of it.

      ‘I was there with him in Cairo, when he had to identify the body. It was awful.’ She shuddered. ‘Poor Harry. I really hope you can help, Ben.’

      ‘I’m not sure yet whether I can or not.’

      She nodded thoughtfully and glanced away from him, looking out at the sea.

      ‘So when did you two meet?’ Ben asked.

      ‘Eighteen months ago, in Sydney. I was organising a charity event. He was offering the use of the Scimitar for the occasion.’

      ‘I thought you were a professional archer.’

      She laughed. ‘Have to be Korean for that. Anyway, I don’t work any more. Not since Harry and I got married.’

      ‘Harry’s a lucky man,’ he said, and immediately wished he’d kept his mouth shut. Zara made no answer, but he thought he saw her cheeks flush a little. She turned her face from him.

      Just then he heard voices coming from across the deck, and looked around. Zara glanced over in the same direction. Her husband was approaching, accompanied by Kerry Wallace. As they came closer, Ben could see that Kerry looked much more collected now. The pallor in her cheeks had gone, and there was a lightness in her step that hadn’t been there before. He was glad she was recovering from the ordeal on the beach.

      Zara seemed to be studying her. ‘Is that your wife, Ben?’

      ‘No, not my wife.’

      ‘Your girlfriend, then?’

      ‘Nothing like that. I don’t know her.’

      She frowned. ‘But I thought-didn’t she arrive with you?’

      ‘It’s a long story,’ he said. In the background he could hear the burbling of the launch cutting around alongside the yacht’s gleaming hull. He glanced over the side. Thierry was bringing it around to the boarding platform, ready to take them back to port.

      Paxton walked up to Ben and shook his hand again. ‘Remember, Benedict, whatever you decide, no hard feelings and I hope to see you this evening.’ He turned to Kerry. ‘It was a pleasure to