Page 37 of Saving Jennifer
The interrogation room at the jail was austere and cold, much like the woman who waited for him inside. Karim straightened his designer suit jacket and drew in a deep breath before entering. No matter how many times he came here, he could never fully prepare himself for facing his aunt.
Sayifa Amir sat regally on the metal seat bolted to the floor. Despite her orange jumpsuit, her posture was impeccable, her eyes sharp and calculating. Beside her, Rashid slouched slightly, straightening only when Karim approached. The family resemblance was unmistakable among the three of them, the same high cheekbones, the same penetrating dark eyes—but where Rashid’s features mirrored his aunt’s haughty expression, Karim’s held a restraint that set him apart.
“You’re late,” Sayifa said by way of greeting, her voice carrying the heavy accent of her homeland.
“Traffic,” Karim replied simply, taking his seat across from them. No point in mentioning he’d lingered in the parking lot, steeling himself for this encounter. He wasn’t about to give her any ammunition to make him feel small and insignificant, which was her usual go-to whenever they were together more than five minutes.
Sayifa’s eyes narrowed. “Have you made progress? We cannot remain in this place much longer. It is beneath us.”
Karim nodded, leaning forward slightly. “I have good news. We’ve located Jennifer Baptiste. She was caught on a traffic camera crossing into Tennessee.”
Rashid perked up, a predatory glint in his eye. “And you have people following her?”
“Of course. My contact is identifying the man traveling with her. Once we know who he is—”
“Once, once, once,” Sayifa interrupted, her voice a controlled hiss. “I did not raise you to speak of possibilities, Karim. I raised you to deliver results.”
Karim felt the familiar sting of her disapproval. It didn’t matter that he was a successful businessman in his own right, that he had built an empire separate from the family wealth. In Sayifa’s eyes, he would always be less than Rashid, the son who never questioned, who had willingly arranged the abduction of Chloe Hudson and the drugging of Abdullah without hesitation.
“If you had listened to me from the beginning,” Karim said carefully, “we might have resolved this legally. Abducting the girl and drugging Abdullah was unnecessarily risky.”
Sayifa’s hand slammed against the table, drawing a warning look from the guard. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet but venomous.
“Do not presume to lecture me. What’s done is done. Now, what of our release?”
Karim straightened his shoulders. “I’ve engaged our attorney to petition authorities in Dubai and the U.A.E. for diplomatic immunity. If granted retroactively to before your arrest, the charges would be dismissed immediately.”
For the first time in the conversation, a flicker of approval crossed Sayifa’s face. “That is…acceptable thinking.”
The reluctant praise felt hollow to Karim, but he nodded nonetheless.
“But it is not enough,” she continued, predictably. “The trial date approaches rapidly. If we are still here when it begins, the immunity may be useless. You must work faster.”
Karim fought back the urge to remind her that he was juggling multiple international businesses while cleaning up the mess she and Rashid had created. Instead, he nodded again. “I understand.”
Rashid leaned forward, his eyes darting to the guard before speaking in a lower voice. “And when you find Jennifer? What then?”
“She will be dealt with,” Karim said simply. “Permanently.”
He glanced up when the guard standing nearby cleared his throat, before nodding toward his pocket, jerking his head toward the corner of the room. Karim had bribed the guard before going into the visiting room, to keep his phone nearby. There were too many irons in the fire for him to be incommunicado. Surreptitiously, Karim glanced at the screen and felt a surge of adrenaline. His hacker was calling.
“I need to take this,” he said, standing abruptly.
Sayifa’s expression soured. “We still have fifteen minutes.”
“This could be about Jennifer,” Karim replied, already turning away.
He strode to the corner of the room, as far from the other visitors as possible, and called the number from the text. There was no worry he’d be caught with the phone, after all, what was the worst they could do to him? Confiscate it? He doubted the guards would be stupid enough to try to arrest him.
“Tell me what you’ve found,” he demanded without preamble.
“I’ve got a name.” The feminine voice of the hacker irked him. He’d much rather have had a man doing his searches, but he’d been promised that this particular hacker was the best money could buy. So far, he had to admit he’d been pleased with her work, since she’d managed to not only find Jennifer on the traffic camera, but now she’d give him the name of the person accompanying her.
“Who is he?”
“Noah Temple. Former military, now works private security. Clean record outside the military, but there’s something off about his discharge papers. My guess would be a dishonorable discharge that somebody’s trying to cover up. I’m digging deeper.”
Karim’s pulse quickened. “Get everything. Background, addresses, family, known associates, financial records, everything. Have it ready by the time I return to the hotel.”