More Than a Mission - Caridad Pineiro [80]
Aidan reached over then, grabbed hold of her hand to offer support. She latched onto him, needing the stability.
“I assure you she’ll be treated with the utmost respect.”
His promise did little to calm her fears. “I want to bury her here. With our parents. When can I…”
She couldn’t finish. Couldn’t picture laying Dani in the ground alongside her Ma and Da. She was too young to be dead. Her presence still too alive with Lizzy for her to believe it possible.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Moore, but that may take some time. You must understand that the Sparrow…Well, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” Lazlo blustered uneasily.
It was Aidan who jumped in on her behalf. “She needs closure, Corbett. Let her see Dani and then let the experts do what they need to. It’s the humane thing to do, damn it.”
“Mr. Spaulding. I would have thought that you more than anyone would appreciate how important it is to get the evidence we need. You do want to confirm who killed Agent Lama, don’t you.”
Aidan was about to protest again, but she squeezed his hand. An unlikely defender rose up, however. “I imagine that by now you already have the Sparrow’s fingerprints and DNA. What more could you need?” Walker challenged.
A sigh that was part annoyance, part fatigue came across the speakerphone. “Dr. Shaw, et tu? This discussion is concluded. When the various agencies are done, I promise you, Ms. Moore, that the Lazlo Group will make the finest of arrangements for your sister.”
“Thank you, Mr. Lazlo,” she replied, but had no sooner finished when Lazlo continued.
“As for DNA, it’s time we got to business. Lord Southgate is on his way and I’m afraid we have some rather disturbing news for him.”
Elizabeth shot a look at Aidan to question whether she should leave, but he shook his head and leaned over. “Stay and I’ll walk you back to your cottage.”
She nodded, sat back and prepared herself for the report that was to follow, fearing yet more negative things about Dani.
“Xander, here. We’ve matched the Sparrow’s DNA to that at the scene, but that’s not the news for the day,” he reported in a too-cheerful tone.
“Mr. Forrest. Decorum, please. What news do you have?” Lazlo admonished.
“Lord Southgate provided the fingerprints and DNA retrieved from the vault located by Doctors Shaw and Smith. I got a match on the fingerprints from the Silvershire police archives.”
Lucia inched to the edge of her chair and shifted toward the speaker. “Xander, please make this long story short.”
“The fingerprints belong to Nikolas Donovan and the DNA from the hair links its donor to King Weston. Short enough?” His loud guffaw followed the bluntly worded report.
“Donovan?” Elizabeth said aloud. “As in the same man who hired Dani?”
“And if the prints belong to him, what are the odds that the DNA doesn’t?” Walker added and shook his head.
“Lord Southgate—”
“Isn’t going to like this one bit,” came from the doorway. Everyone jumped to their feet and stood awkwardly, except for Elizabeth. She immediately dipped into a curtsy. “Your Grace.”
Lord Russell Southgate, Duke of Carrington and soon to be king, waved off her display, clearly uncomfortable. “Please, Ms. Moore. Rise, and also accept my sympathies for your recent loss.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” she responded and watched as the duke sauntered in and stood before the group.
“Mr. Lazlo, are you there?” he asked the speakerphone.
“I am, Your Grace, and I apologize about the manner in which this information came to you,” Corbett Lazlo replied, obviously annoyed.
“That’s fine, but…Mr. Xander. Are you sure about the results?”
Xander hesitated and in the background, the sound of rustling papers came across the line before the young agent finally responded. “Yes, sir. No doubt about the match on the prints or the DNA. If we find the donor of the hair, you’ve found Weston’s real son.”
“And you believe that would be Nikolas Donovan?” the duke pressed.
“Yes. It’s only logical that since the prints and hair were the only