The Riddle (A James Acton Thriller, Book #11) by J Robert Kennedy

husband said this man, who we know is the shooter, wasn’t the
shooter.” Yin’s eyes narrowed as he looked up at Acton, the man a full head
shorter. “I wonder why that is? You sound so certain that the man we are
positive is the shooter, isn’t the shooter. Since we know this man is American,
and you are American, perhaps you were involved?”
    The officer
dispatched earlier to verify their identities returned, handing the passports
back to their interrogator as he delivered a verbal report. Yin nodded. “It
appears you are indeed guests of this hotel and your visas check out. You may
enter, but go straight to your room for your own protection.”
    Acton
held his hand out for his passport but Yin shook his head, waving them at him.
“I’ll hang on to these. You’ll get them back once this investigation has been
completed.”
    Acton
bit his tongue. “Can we at least get a receipt or something?”
    Yin’s
eyes narrowed inquisitively. “Receipt?”
    “Something
that shows you have them.”
    “Ahh, I
understand. No.” He turned on his heel and walked away, suddenly stopping and
turning back toward them. “And do not leave the hotel. You will be
questioned further.”
    Acton
felt Laura’s hand squeeze his, cutting off any verbal retort. He merely nodded.
Laura grabbed Mai’s hand and practically pulled her after them into the hotel.
Acton led them directly to the elevators, immediately boarding a newly arriving
car.
    He
nearly bumped into Spock, one of the Delta Force Bravo Team members he had come
to know over the years.
    No looks
were exchanged as the Delta operator disembarked.
    “Honey,
we’ll need to call Mr. White as soon as possible with our room number.”
    “You
mean he doesn’t know we’re in room eighteen-oh-two?”
    “I think
I forgot to tell him,” replied Acton as the doors closed. Mai looked at Acton
with a puzzled expression but said nothing as they rode up to the penthouse
level in silence. The doors opened and they found the hallway deserted.
    Laura
swiped the keycard and they were finally inside the privacy of their own room
leaving them all to breathe a sigh of relief as the door clicked closed behind
them. Acton quickly looked in the bathroom and separate bedroom, confirming
they were alone.
    “What
are we going to do?” asked Laura. “We can’t leave the country without our
passports.”
    Acton
sat down in one of the chairs, catching an ice cold water bottle tossed by
Laura who was bent over at the fridge. He pushed aside a curtain to look out
across the city. “We’ll need to get new ones.”
    “How?
We’re not allowed to leave the hotel.”
    Acton
made a face, letting go of the curtain as he cracked open the lid. “We need to
get the British Embassy to issue a new passport for you, and the American for
me. I wonder if we can do this by phone.”
    Laura
nodded. “Possible. But even so they’ll have our names at the airport and stop
us from leaving.”
    Acton
bit his lip as he crossed his legs. “Maybe we’re looking at this in the wrong
way.”
    “How
so?”
    “We’re
assuming we have to flee the country. We’ve done nothing wrong. Perhaps we
should just let justice take its course and eventually we’ll be allowed to go.”
    “Ha!”
    All eyes
turned to Mai. “Sorry, I apologize for my outburst, but Professors, this is
Vietnam. Every crime will be solved and a perpetrator will be brought to justice. Never does that guarantee the right person is
brought to justice. Do not put blind faith in the police. If they think you’re
involved, you could find yourselves very quickly in prison, and me along with
you.”
    “So what
would you suggest?” asked Laura, motioning for her to sit down on the couch,
the poor woman flitting about, a bundle of nerves.
    Mai
perched on the edge of the floral patterned couch, Laura sitting in another of
the chairs. “I think you need to use whatever means you have at your disposal
to get out of the country. For whatever reason the