Dark Waters Read Online Free Page A

the situation, though the young girl was clearly shaken. She huddled close to her father while he gently stroked her hair. The gesture touched Jordan at gut level, reminding her of her own father.
    “Judge Taylor, I’m the assistant regional security officer assigned to the U.S. embassy. Whenever there are incidents in Tel Aviv involving Americans, I am sent out to investigate.”
    The father nodded, but the child look scared. Jordan dropped down to her eye level.
    “How old are you?”
    “Eleven.”
    “You must have been scared.”
    The child shrugged. Blood spatter spotted the front of her white tank top like brown freckles. She clung to her dad’s hand and kept her eyes focused on the concrete. “I lost some of my stuff.”
    “But you and your dad are okay.”
    The judge, who was watching his daughter, said, “Can we do this later?”
    Jordan shook her head. “It’s better for us to get the information while it’s fresh in your minds.” She stood up, focusing on the present. “Judge Taylor, can you tell me why you’re in Israel?”
    “We’re here because Lucy is sick.”
    Jordan studied the girl. When the child looked up, Jordan was struck by the depth of the circles etched under her chocolate-brown eyes.
    “Go on.”
    “We’re seeing a doctor here—Dr. Alena Petrenko.” The judge’s arm slipped around his daughter’s shoulders, and he drew her closer to him. “It’s making a difference.”
    Jordan noted an edge to his voice.
    “Is your mother here?” she asked Lucy.
    “My ex-wife is stateside,” the judge said. “Lucy spends her summers with me.”
    Again, Jordan took note of his tone. Maybe he didn’t get along with his ex-wife, or maybe it was something else. “What type of judge are you, Judge Taylor? State—”
    “Federal.”
    That got her attention.
    Jordan turned to Lucy. “Do you mind if I speak to your daddy alone?” She tipped her head at Detective Lotner, waiting for Lucy to respond. Lotner scowled. Lucy looked scared.
    “It’ll only be for a minute,” Jordan said. “You can wait right there.” She pointed to a bench farther away from the fountain and the dead bodies.
    Lucy tightened her grip on her father’s fingers.
    He leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Reluctantly, she let go of his hand, moving toward the bench with Detective Lotner.
    “Thank you,” said Jordan, waiting for them to get out of earshot.
    “Let’s get this over with,” the judge said, his voice commanding, like a man who was used to giving orders rather than taking them.
    Hoping to put him at ease, Jordan sat on the edge of the wall beside him. “Judge Taylor, did you know either of the two men who died?”
    “No.”
    “Do you know of any reason someone might want you dead?”
    Taylor’s eyes narrowed. “I’m a federal judge.”
    “Let me rephrase. Do you know of any reason someone here might want you dead?”
    Taylor looked away. “I would never willingly put Lucy in danger.”
    “I’ll take that as a yes.” It was obvious that his daughter was his primary concern, so when he didn’t respond, Jordan played the card. “I need an answer, Taylor, for her sake as much as yours. I need to know if someone here tried to kill you.”
    The judge drew a breath and exhaled loudly. “The last case I presided over involved two American children orphaned when their parents were killed on 9/11. Based on the conviction of a Palestinian named Mohammad Al Ahmed, their attorney asked for a court-ordered freeze of his U.S.-based investments until liability was determined. It essentially ties up U.S. funding of the Palestine Liberation Committee.”
    “And you complied?” It wasn’t really a question. She knew about the case. She had been there for it, not to mention the fallout that brought her here.
    Taylor nodded.
    “Have you received any specific threats from the Palestinians?”
    “No.”
    “So you thought it was safe to come here?” Again, it wasn’t really a question, and