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It was a tight fit.
It was a glorious fit.
“It’s too small,” Harry complained, pulling the hem down.
“Oh no, it’s perfect.” Asher fixed the rounded band collar, pulled at the fabric a little at the shoulder, and smiled up at him. “The colour matches your eyes.”
He lasered his eyes into Asher, a hard, fierce glare, and Asher didn’t know whether to take a step back or a step closer.
They were already close enough...
“We need to leave,” Harry murmured. He sprayed on some deodorant, then knocked back two pain pills.
“I thought you said your ankle was fine.”
“It is. I took those so I can put up with you.”
Asher laughed. “Perfect.”
They packed their bags back into the ceiling, locked up the room, and after a quick walk to the street, hailed a cab. Harry climbed into the back, Asher took the front, and he smiled at the driver.
“Algiers University, please.”
* * *
The second Asherlaid eyes on Professor Kadira Amara, he knew she was an astute woman. She dressed sharp, she was incredibly smart, no nonsense. “Thank you for meeting with us,” Asher said in Arabic. “We do appreciate your time.”
She let them into her office: a small room with a large desk and more books than seemed possible. Professor Amara gestured to the two seats across from hers, and she sat with a sigh. She took one look at Harry, then spoke to Asher. “Arabic or English?”
“English, for my colleague, would be greatly appreciated.”
Harry gave her an awkward smile. “My apologies. My Arabic is rusty.”
Her gaze narrowed at him. “Your accent?”
Shit.
“Australian,” Harry answered.
She turned her attention to Asher. “Which agency did you say you were with?”
“No agency.”
She raised her eyebrow. “Newspaper?”
Asher put his hand up, palm forward. “No, no. We’re conducting a private investigation into the death of Ikram Taleb.”
“He was a professor,” she said quietly. “Professor Ikram Taleb.”
“His work here,” Asher began. “What did he specialise in?”
“Nuclear fusion and engineering physics.”
“What is that, exactly?”
She made a face. “The process of turning physics into engineering is complicated to summarise. Basically alternative energy resources to hydrocarbon fundamentals.”
Asher nodded. “Did he teach or do research?”
