Page 112 of Royal Caleva: Luis

“How did she contact you?” Mikel asked.

“I met with a group of people who were looking for candidates for the consejo. Candidates who want change in Caleva. I told them my daughter’s story so they would understand my commitment.” Camacho’s handcuffs rattled on the tabletop in his agitation. “Several days after my interview with them, I received an email at my university address. It was signed just Isabella.”

Isabella. The name of the infamous Queen of Caleva who had hurled her half siblings off the heights of Acantilado Alto. Odette and her mind games.

“You conspired to murder your king via email?” Mikel’s question dripped with incredulity.

“Of course not. I am not stupid.” Camacho was insulted. “We used a dead drop and handwrote our communications.”

“And how did she persuade you to poison the king?”

“She knew about my daughter. How I have suffered. She, too, has lost a daughter, so she understood my need to exact payment.”

Such a lying, manipulative bruja. Rage boiled in Luis’s chest.

“Whose idea was the thallium?” Mikel asked.

“Isabella’s. She knew where to obtain it and that it could be absorbed through the skin, since poisoning Luis’s food would be nearly impossible. She suggested using a book, and I found exactly the right title to pique the king’s interest.” Satisfaction vibrated in Camacho’s voice.

“I also made the calculations about where to place the poisoned pages in the book,” Camacho continued. “Even if he read two chapters at a time, he would only receive enough poison to create discomfort, not death.”

“How did you know he would read only a chapter or two at a time?” Mikel asked.

“He is the king, a very busy man,” Camacho said. “He would not have the leisure time to read the entire book at once.”

“Did you not consider that he might page through it, rather than reading it chapter by chapter?” Mikel prodded.

“He would receive no benefit from glancing through it,” Camacho said. “Su Majestad is an expert fencer. He would wish to learn from the book, not just look at the pictures.”

Luis shifted in his chair. He had paged through the volume repeatedly because he had been distracted by his feelings for Eve. How ironic that he had nearly killed himself that way.

Mikel stopped the recording. “The rest is more of the same.”

“It was Odette,” Luis said, fear and fury spinning through his brain. “She has her tentacles deep in that group of malcontents in the consejos. We have to find and shut down her conduit to them.”

Mikel nodded stiffly.

“You did the right thing in not sharing this with the others,” Luis said, drumming his fingers on the desk as he considered the implications of a public trial. “We must tread very carefully.”

“Thus far we have no proof of Odette’s involvement,” Mikel pointed out.

“I do not doubt your ability to unearth it,” Luis said. “I’m just not yet sure how I wish to use it.”

Mikel cleared his throat and pulled an envelope from his breast pocket but did not offer it to Luis. “Señor, I wish to apologize for the breach in security, both at the prison and here,” he said, his voice tight. “This is my letter of resignation. My hope is that you will not accept it. Not because I deserve another chance, but because I will redouble my efforts to prevent such a terrible event from occurring again.”

Luis waved Mikel’s apology and letter away. “I don’t want your resignation.”

“Why not? It is my job to prevent harm from coming to you.” Mikel’s eyes burned with regret.

“A crazed intruder once got into the Queen of England’s bedroom. U.S. presidents occasionally get shot,” Luis said. “We are targets, and sometimes a madman or madwoman will get through even the most rigorous defenses.” He held out his hand. “The letter, please.”

Mikel frowned as he gave the envelope to Luis. His security chief’s expression lightened when Luis tore the envelope in half and then in quarters before dropping it into the shredding bin.

“I need to pay another visit to Odette,” Luis said. “We must come to an understanding. Set it up for early tomorrow morning and keep the visit between the two of us.” The anger-fueled adrenaline was draining away, leaving him aching and exhausted.

Mikel bowed, picked up his laptop, and exited without a word.

Luis pressed a button on his desk that signaled he should not be disturbed. Then he went to the couch, arranged a couple of pillows at one end, and stretched out on the cushions with a groan.

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