Betrayed by the Truth (Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon Mysteries, Book 9) by Daniella Bernett
About Betrayed by the Truth:
It’s a lethal cocktail
Journalist Emmeline Kirby and her jewel thief/insurance investigator husband Gregory Longdon become targets after a desperate stranger asks them to deliver a fortune in rare red diamonds to hotelier Alexander Colefax. Before they can ask any questions, the man is killed.
Driven by dark secrets, Colefax is willing to flirt with treason if it means getting what he wants. His coterie included the son of a Kremlin elite and a Russian mafia boss. When a man’s only loyalty is to money, his enemies become twice as ruthless. After Colefax is bludgeoned to death, Emmeline and Gregory discover that his dangerous games involved not only diamonds, but a stolen Fabergé egg that has vanished and a spy named Snowdrop. The trail of lies and revenge leads to Switzerland, where a treacherous double-cross could cost Emmeline and Gregory their lives.
Excerpt:
Chapter
3
London, December 2010
“Get on with it,” Superintendent Burnell ordered. “My ulcer is already telling me I’m not going to like whatever you’re about to say.”
Emmeline and Gregory quickly sat down, while Sergeant Finch hitched a hip on the corner of the desk.
She took a deep breath and launched into an account of their unsettling encounter in Madrid. “Two nights ago, a stranger approached us on Gran Via. He was quite agitated and kept looking over his shoulder. He asked if we were English and before we had a chance to answer, he thrust a pouch at Gregory—”
One of Burnell’s wispy eyebrows arched upward. He fixed his blue stare on Gregory’s face. “A pouch?”
Gregory gave a slight nod and smiled at the superintendent. “Black velvet, if you’re curious.”
Burnell glared at him, while Emmeline rushed on, “The young man told us that ‘they’ were going to kill him. He asked us to take the pouch to London and give it to a man named Alexander Colefax.”
“What?” The detective slammed his desk with his open palm. “Alexander Colefax. Are you sure?”
“Ye-es, but there’s more. Before we could gather our wits, the man ran off and…and five minutes later he was lying dead in the road. A car had struck him and sped off. The pouch contained six red diamonds.” Burnell’s eyes widened in disbelief. “A man in the crowd came after us, but we managed to give him the slip. That’s why we cut our holiday short. We came straight here this morning.”
Burnell’s gaze snaked over to Gregory. “You expect me to believe that of all the people in Madrid, this stranger decided to entrust the diamonds to you.”
Gregory smoothed down the corners of his mustache. “What can I say? I have the sort face that inspires confidence,” he replied silkily.
The detective snorted. “Pull the other one. Where are the gems?”
Gregory held up one finger and with the flourish of a conjurer drew out the pouch from his inside breast pocket. He silently slid it across the desk.
The superintendent reluctantly picked up the pouch. He pulled open the drawstrings. The diamonds tumbled out in a shimmering cascade ranging from deep red to red-purple. Burnell and Finch were momentarily tongue-tied.
Gregory broke the spell by gustily clearing his throat. “Red diamonds are the rarest and most unique of the fancy-colored diamonds. That’s why they are highly sought after by collectors. They can cost one million dollars a carat. I’d say these beauties are worth one hundred twenty million dollars or about one hundred million pounds.”
Burnell groaned. “I despise diamonds, especially fancy ones.”
Gregory continued with his lesson, as if the detective had not spoken.
“Enough,” Burnell snapped, visibly cringing. “I don’t want to hear any more about diamonds.”
“Really, Oliver. I’m rather surprised by your attitude. A policeman, let alone a senior detective, should be well-informed on all subjects. If you are well-rounded”—he flicked a mischievous glance at the superintendent’s ample stomach—“it will help you to perform your job in a better, more efficient manner.”
“Longdon.” Burnell’s tone held a steely edge of warning.
One of Gregory’s shoulders twitched in a casual shrug. “As you wish.”
Emmeline took advantage of this lull. “Superintendent Burnell, you had a strong reaction when I mentioned Alexander Colefax. I take it you know who he is.”
A pained expression flitted across the detective’s features. “In a manner of speaking.” He paused for a beat. “He’s lying in the morgue.”
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About Daniella Bernett:
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