Gray Empire (Grey Empire, #1) by B. James Wilson

Author:B. James Wilson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller, Paranormal, Supernatural, Magical Realism, Holy Grail, Grail Mythology, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Treasure, Demonic, Templar
Publisher: Bruce J Wilson
Published: 2026-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Murder by Natural Causes

Within half an hour, all three had assembled on the dock with their bags. They took Arthur’s Sea-Ray across to the North Abaco airstrip and by two o’clock, they were in Coral Gables.

Dorothy Hall waited for them beneath the sprawling canopy of a banyan tree, at a trendy outdoor café near the university. She sat rigid in her chair, repeatedly glancing over her shoulder, her face hidden behind expensive sunglasses. When they approached, she rose with a forced smile that didn’t reach the rest of her face.

Rick made the introductions. “This is my associate, King Arthur Jones. And I believe you already know Dr. Scott.”

When Dorothy removed her sunglasses, her eyes told the story, red-rimmed, exhausted, haunted. She nodded to each of them in turn. The moment Arthur’s name registered, her expression shifted to that universal look of polite confusion. He’d seen it a thousand times.

“My parents were avid Grail fans,” he explained as they shook hands.

A flicker of a smile crossed her lips before she retreated behind the gradient lenses once more. When she spoke, her voice carried the weight of something heavier than simple sorrow.

“I’m so sorry to have been the one to tell you about this, Mr. Townsend.”

A waitress came, interrupting. They ordered a variety of coffee concoctions, then Rick took Dorothy’s hand and said, “I appreciate that you called to let me know. Dr. Blake and I have been friends for many years, it would be a shame if I had to find this out from a newspaper.”

Dorothy was choking back tears of real grief, and something else Rick couldn’t quite fathom. He reached out and hugged her, then sat back in his chair and gave her a moment to collect herself before he asked, “Do you know if any arrangements have been made?”

Dorothy wiped her nose with a tissue and answered, “Dr. Blake donated her body and organs to the school, for medical research. So that stuff is taken care of, but the county coroner has her now.” A shadow of concern came over her. “They’re doing an autopsy.”

Reading her expression, Rick said, “That’s standard for an unattended death, Dorothy.”

The waitress returned with their coffees, so the conversation rested while she served them. Dorothy breathed a little easier in that moment, but what she said afterward expressed the deeper concern Rick had seen in her eyes.

“I’m scared, Mr. Townsend. Something’s going on that doesn’t make sense.”

Rick took a moment to assess her fear. He assured her, “I don’t believe you’re in any danger, Dorothy. I think we know what the men you saw were after.” He indicated himself with Arthur and Monica. “They won’t be bothering you.”

Questioning Rick’s assurances, she asked, “What do they want? Why would they kill Dr. Blake?”

Rick looked around, urging caution. Dorothy’s plea had been a little too loud. Her words were getting unwanted attention from nearby tables, and her paranoia was beginning to seep into his own thoughts. Leaning close, lowering his voice to demonstrate the need for secrecy, he said, “I believe they’re after the stone we brought to Susan for analysis.

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