Page 18 of His Impossible Heir

Before he could finish, a uniformed officer escorted a barefoot and trembling Amanda through the door. The lovely up-do had tumbled over her shoulders. Her lipstick had worn away and there were streaks of mascara on her cheeks, proof that she’d been crying.

“Amanda!” he growled.

She hiccupped, trying to stifle another sob. “I didn’t do it!” she cried, her bare shoulders quaking as the sobs overwhelmed her.

It took him only two strides to reach her. The moment he touched her shoulders, he pulled Amanda into his arms, wrapping his arms around her. Her skin was cold to the touch and he slipped his coat off, draping it around her. “Where is your coat,habibi?” he demanded.

She hid her face against his chest and he tightened his grip around her. “They took it before they put me in the jail cell,” she explained, as she snuggled into the warmth of his coat. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to be mixed up in this mess.” She tilted her head back so she could look up at him. “How did you even hear about this?”

“I was having breakfast with Rayed,” he explained softly, pulling her to the side while the lawyer spoke to someone who looked very official. “You should have called me.”

Amanda shook her head and another lock of hair tumbled out of the clips she’d used the previous night. “No way. I didn’t want you to know anything about this.”

“Why not?”

She tried to laugh, but the sound came out as a sob. “Because you’re…you!” She blinked hard, fighting back more tears. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Daniesh.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “You’re big and powerful and charming and…!” Angrily, she wiped a tear away. “And this is so embarrassing!” She lifted a hand, patting at her hair. A moment later, she sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “But I’m truly grateful to you for getting me out of that jail cell.” She looked up at him. “I’m going to get a taxi and head on back to the hotel, if you don’t mind.”

The lawyer walked over to them and cleared his throat. “Ms. Thomas, I’ve arranged for you to be released into the custody of Prince al-Bodari.” He looked at each of them, his features professionally neutral. “The police still want to question you further and you will need to present yourself to the courts next Monday. They believe they have enough evidence already and are prepared to present their case to the judge. If the judge agrees that there is enough evidence, then you will be required to stay in Paris until the trial date.” He shifted slightly and looked at Amanda. “I have some contacts that I can tap into so that I can find their supposed evidence. But I will need to ask you more questions, and I need to work quickly.”

“Yes,” Amanda replied, pulling away from Daniesh. “What do you need to know?”

“I need you to give me a timeline of your activities from the moment you touched down in France,” he explained succinctly. He was clearly a no-nonsense kind of man. “The more detailed, the better. If you got a cup of coffee somewhere, include it. If you looked at a clock in the airport, write it down.”

“Okay.” She felt a great deal of pressure as he continued.

“If you ordered a drink from room service, rode the elevator, or saw someone in the lobby, I need to know. Tell meeverything.”

“She was with me most of the night,” Daniesh interjected.

“That’s good,” the lawyer replied, nodding firmly. “Give me that information as well. The police looked at security footage of the entryway to the awards ceremony last night and Ms. Thomas was not among the guests who came through the front entrance. Since there was a large group of paparazzi at the door, and none of them saw you, there’s no evidence of your arrival.”

“But…” she glanced at Daniesh, then back at the lawyer. “I was with Prince Rayed and Emma. They went in through the back doors in order to avoid the press. We entered through the kitchens.”

“That’s our security protocol,” Daniesh confirmed with a firm nod. “We wouldn’t ever walk through a crush of paparazzi unless there was bullet proof glass confining them.

The lawyer nodded with understanding. “That’s good.” He turned to Amanda. “I need every detail, every person you saw, or who might have seen you.” He looked at each of them in turn. “My staff will go through any security footage we can find that might provide you a rock solid alibi.”

“Shouldn’t the police officers be doing this?” she asked, impressed by the man’s thoroughness, but also intimidated by the potential cost of what he was going to do for her.

M. Jalois nodded his head, but his gaze remained steady. “Yes, that’s their job, but they think you killed this person and you’re not a French citizen,” he explained, his voice stern. “They consider you a flight risk, so they’ll keep you here in Paris until they’ve finished their investigations. And since they think you’re guilty, they’ll take their time about looking into the details of the night.” He grunted slightly. “Trust me, youdon’twant to linger in jail until they get around to confirming your alibi.”

He was right and she shrank back even more. That’s when Daniesh’s arm tightened around her shoulders and she was grateful for his strength, as well as whatever connection had gotten this lawyer here so late…uh…early in the morning.

“Thank you for all your help, Monsieur Jalois.”

He nodded sharply, then asked, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

She started to shake her head, but then she realized that several items had been taken from her hotel suite. “My laptop!” she gasped. “The police took my laptop! It has my speech for this weekend and all of my files. Including the book I’m currently working on.” Her fingers twisted together as her anxiety escalated. “It’s just a rough draft, but it has so many details!”

Monsieur Jalois nodded. “I doubt I can get the laptop back quickly, but I can request that certain files be sent to you. You might want to get a new computer, at least a temporary one for this weekend. And perhaps beyond this weekend if the police become stubborn about your presumed guilt. And if they become stubborn about you remaining in Paris as a material witness.”

Stay? Here in Paris? The expense alone would bankrupt her! She’d had success with her books, but the world had a warped sense of how much an author earned from royalties! The publisher kept the lion’s share of her book sales!

“But…I can’t stay here! I have a job and responsibilities back home!”

M. Jalois lifted a hand, stopping her. “One step at a time, my dear,” he said with that Gallic tone. “Let me get the charges against you dropped first, then we’ll work on the other problems.”

“He’s right,” Daniesh spoke up. “You’ll stay with me until everything is resolved.”

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