Archbishop Karquen closed his eyes, took a couple of deep, long breaths, and then gave Murray and Mir two complex looks before getting up from his seat.
"That's a surprise, I must say. If you couldn't find the package, Gerges, it certainly puts a lot of weight on their account."
Father Gerges and his colleague remained silent, though their teeth were gritted visibly. Murray seemed to enjoy pouring more oil into the flame as he said, "If you're not convinced, you could always start over, you know? Search again if you want!"
"...."
"That will not be necessary," Karquen said. "Gerges, come with me for a moment to verify one last thing. Murray, lead us to the place where your mysterious customer appeared last night."
Father Gerges' eyes suddenly shone with the flame of remnant hope. Murray's face was unreadable as he led both men to the back of the house, stopping in front of the door leading to the backyard.