The Jealous by Laury Silvers

Author:Laury Silvers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Laury Silvers
Published: 2020-04-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

The Imam’s widow screeched at Ammar, “Why is that girl still alive!”

Ammar sat on one of the family’s luxurious couches and watched Isam closely, keeping in mind Saliha’s observation that he felt more for his sister-in-law than he should. He could see that Isam wanted to comfort her, but that he held back. If there was no love there, he’d be freer to comfort her without worry that he would betray his true feelings. Saliha was right.

“It’s only been three days, we must build our case, which is why…”

Hanan wasn’t listening. “I told you she killed him!”

“Let’s hear him.” Isam tried to mollify her, “She’ll be executed before long. God’s justice is exacting.”

She looked at Isam. “I told you, we must contact Qadi Abu Burhan, he can have this handled immediately.” She threw her hand out from underneath her wrap, pointing at Ammar. “This man is incompetent!”

“I understand your frustration,” Ammar replied coolly. “We are tying up a few loose ends right now. If I could just ask a few questions.”

“And he comes to us on a Friday!” She looked him up and down. “‘Ammar’, that’s a Shia name. For all we know, he spent his day cursing God’s caliphs. He has no interest in protecting the rights of our family!”

“Hanan, they would not put him in charge of Grave Crimes if he could not be fair.”

She shifted her body away from them, so that she was facing the far wall.

Isam sighed almost imperceptibly at this display. He inclined his head. “Please ask your questions.”

Ammar nodded in thanks. “Did you find the talisman for us?”

Still facing the wall, Hanan said, “I found it and threw it into a public well, the ifrit will follow it and never find us again.”

Ammar closed his eyes in frustration. “We needed the talisman for evidence.” He turned to Isam, “Maybe the girl used a poison to kill him, rather than the talisman? Are there any poisons in the house that would have caused his symptoms?”

Hanan turned back to face Ammar, “His symptoms? He died!”

“What herbs do you keep in the house? Any medicines? Anything to kill rodents?”

She waved her hand in the direction of the room beyond them. “Ask the servants. How am I to know what is in this house? I am healthy. I take nothing. My beloved used pennyroyal for colds, but he hadn’t been sick in years.”

Isam looked at her quizzically, then answered Ammar himself, “I use a mixture of rue, dill seed, and belladonna to control my epilepsy. It reduces the incidence somewhat, but I cannot see how it could kill him. I take quite a bit of it,” he spread out his arms, “and here I am.”

“I’ll need to speak to whoever would have access to your medicine.”

Hanan shot back, “My servants did not do this. I have told you. It was the slave.”

“Is there anything else?” Isam asked.

Isam’s face told him there was something Hanan was holding back. Maybe he could prod it out of them. “This may be difficult.

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