The Black Sun Conspiracy

Chapter Twenty-Nine

There was no time for Sam to warn Nina and Purdue of the sight that awaited them. He stood open-mouthed, staring, and speechless. Faintly, distantly, he heard a muffled “Oh my God” from Nina, the sound half-drowned by the rushing stream.

Axelle’s golden curls were spread out round her head like a halo, but a trace of deep red was visible underneath the blonde hair. Her head was tilted a little to one side, showing a hint of the wound where somebody had staved in her skull. Half-open blue eyes gazed sightlessly into the distance. The skin of her neck was livid with red and purple bruises, and the wire that had choked the life out of her was still in place, biting deep into her throat. It had been twisted tight by means of a stick, which lay at her side.

“Threefold…” Purdue spoke softly, almost inaudibly. He knelt down beside her. Sam wondered what he was doing as he reached for her hand, but then he saw that Axelle was holding an envelope. Or at least, an envelope had been placed in her hand after her death. The paper was dry and evidently had not been in her hand when she had been submerged.

Deftly Purdue slipped a long finger under the flap and tore the envelope open. A thick piece of card fell into his palm, blank on one side. He turned it over and stared at the text. Sam watched him, but could make no sense of his expression. He followed the billionaire’s line of vision as he looked up towards the closed door. The card dropped from his hand.

It was Nina who picked it up. “What does this mean?” she asked, holding it out where Sam could see it.

Before Purdue could answer, the door swung open. Two powerfully-built men strode in, flanking a tall, imposing woman in a high-collared duffel coat. She had strong, attractive features and long brown hair swept back in a chignon, and she carried herself with an air of immense confidence. She glanced round at each of them in turn, and Sam immediately felt wrong-footed, caught out. This is Renata, he thought. Who else could it be?

“Get rid of her,” the woman commanded, snapping her fingers at the two men. Obediently they marched forward and took hold of Axelle’s body, rolling her onto her side so that the deep hole in her skull was briefly visible before hanks of wet hair fell to cover it.

Positioned as he was, Sam was the one who got a clear view of it. The dark redness, the shards of white bone and the thick, heavy smell of blood were too much for him. Bile rose in his throat and he lurched forward and retched, falling onto his hands and knees. He heaved and puked until his body shook with exertion. By the time he raised his head, Axelle’s body was gone from the room.

The woman Sam assumed to be Renata stood facing Purdue. “I gave you a fair chance,” she said. “As fair a chance as I could. The man I used to know would have solved the whole puzzle in far less time than this. But then, the man I knew was… unencumbered.” She gestured to her guards. “Take them. All three.”

“Renata, no.” Purdue took an urgent step forward and then stopped, remembering himself. He forced himself to stay still, but his voice was low and urgent. “Please. All I need is a little more time. You shall have your painting and anything else you require. Anything you want. All I ask for is their safety. Not my own. You may do as you see fit with me, but with the greatest respect, I would ask you to ensure that they are safe.”

“You are not in a position to bargain, Purdue.” Renata’s tone was calm, a little dismissive. Nina watched Purdue, waiting for an angry reaction from him, certain that he would not appreciate being spoken to that way. To her amazement he kept his head and even looked a little humble.

The two guards advanced, one approaching Nina and the other targeting Sam, and bound their hands behind their backs. They pushed them toward Renata and moved towards Purdue.

“Stop,” Renata snapped. The guards halted at once. “Leave him,” she said. “I am sure that Mr. Purdue will accompany us of his own free will… Won’t you? If you want your dear friends to be safe?”

Purdue nodded intently. Renata smiled, but it was not a reassuring expression. Hers was the face of someone several steps ahead, watching everyone around her struggle to catch up. “Very well then,” she smirked, and linked her arm through Purdue’s. “Let us be on our way.”