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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2022 by IJ Development

  Cover design by Flag. Cover art by Neil Overy/Arcangel and Getty Images.

  Cover copyright © 2022 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

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  First Edition: June 2022

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Johansen, Iris, author.

  Title: A face to die for / Iris Johansen.

  Description: First edition. | New York : Grand Central Publishing, 2022. | Series: Eve Duncan

  Identifiers: LCCN 2021059701 | ISBN 9781538713211 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781538724385 (large print) | ISBN 9781538713242 (ebook)

  Subjects: LCGFT: Novels.

  Classification: LCC PS3560.O275 F35 2022 | DDC 813/.54--dc23/eng/20211209

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021059701

  ISBNs: 978-1-5387-1321-1 (hardcover), 978-1-5387-2438-5 (large print), 978-1-5387-2668-6 (Canadian trade), 9781538713242 (ebook)

  E3-20220420-NF-DA-ORI

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter ​2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter ​14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Discover More

  About the Author

  Also by Iris Johansen

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  Prologue

  Ghana, West Africa

  Twenty-Two Years Ago

  The sun was going down!

  And she was late again.

  There was no way Riley was going to be able to get back to the camp before her mother and father returned from the trip to the village.

  But she had to try.

  She skidded down the bank that led from the creek. Then she was deep in the jungle and heading toward the hills in the distance. The night creatures had not come out yet, but the stillness told her they were there waiting in the shadows for their turn. She had caught sight of a panther earlier this morning…This time of day always excited her, and she instinctively slowed down to let the sensations flow over her, the fear, the eagerness, the curiosity. But then she reluctantly speeded up again. She had to be more careful after that last warning from her mother. She was running at top speed through the jungle now. She jumped over another creek and could see the camp a short distance ahead. She didn’t hear any sounds of cooking or conversation, but that didn’t mean Riley would get away with disobedience. It was fully dark now, and her mother didn’t like the night creatures the way Riley did. She always insisted that her father be back at camp before the end of the day.

  Well, she could only hope that something had delayed the purchase of the artifact at the village. She ran around to her own tent that was in the rear of the encampment. She lifted up the back of the tent and rolled underneath the edge.

  A beam of light speared her face in the darkness.

  “You were told to stay in the tent, Riley,” her mother said coldly.

  Caught!

  Her mother lit the lantern on the table beside the bed and then gazed at her disapprovingly. “Not only disobedient, but you look like a filthy ragamuffin. I saw children in that village today who looked much cleaner than you.”

  “I’m not filthy. I took a bath in a creek right before I came home.” Riley was careful not to mention that the creek had run through an underground cave and ended in a ten-foot waterfall. Her mother would not have understood. “And I finished the lessons you gave me before I took a walk. I didn’t think you’d mind. You always say I should get exercise.”

  “You crept past the guard again. You know you’re not supposed to go anywhere alone. You’re eight years old. What if you got lost? Your father would blame me.”

  “I never get lost.” She sat up. “I’m like Eleni. Remember all the stories you told me about her? She never got lost and she never got tired. She was a true warrior.”

  “You’re not like Eleni,” her mother said between gritted teeth. “You’re just a disobedient child who causes me endless problems. And I’m sorry I ever told you about her.”

  “I’m not.” Riley knew she should just be quiet and not argue, but she couldn’t accept those words. She lifted her chin. “I remember every one of those stories. Maybe I’m not like her, but I try to be.”

  “You’re impossible.” Her mother shook her head. “Now clean up and then go to bed. And if you’ve lied to me and didn’t finish those lessons, you’ll hear from your father. I’ve told him that we should send you to a private school in Egypt. I shouldn’t have to handle you by myself.”

  “I didn’t lie to you. I even did an extra lesson before I left for my walk. That should please him.” She changed the subject. “Did you get the artifact?”

  “We got it,” she said curtly. “But it was hardly worth the trip. It was far too primitive and led us nowhere that we wanted to go.” She turned to leave. “I suppose he’ll want to know if you’ve had anything to eat.”

  “Berries,” Riley said quickly. “Lots of berries. I’m not hungry.”

  “Good. Then go to bed. I don’t want to hear anything else from you for the rest of the night. Your father and I have work to do.” She left the tent.

  Yes. Riley jumped to her feet and ran over to the table and hurriedly washed up and brushed her hair. Then she was in her pajamas, turning off the lamp, and crawling into her sleeping bag.

  She closed her eyes. Sleep. Forget everything her mother had said. Remember the jungle, the strange sound of the chimps high in the trees, the way her heart had pounded as she’d run down the path this morning after she’d left the encampment. Let everything else go so the dreams could come.

  Freedom. Power. Eleni.

  * * *

  “You got in trouble again.” Riley heard Eleni laughing even before she saw her sitting on the stool beside the arched windows of the palace. She was dressed in a white tunic; her blue eyes were lit with amusement and her golden hair was short and shimmering around that wonderful face. “Won’t you ever learn, Riley?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do.” She didn’t care if Eleni was laughing at her. There was only humor and mischief and no hint of scorn or bitterness when Eleni came to her. “You kept bragging how fast you were, how none of the young boys of the city could beat you. But I had no one to teach me. I just had to do it on my own. I was very fast today.”

  “Not as fast as me. Probably because they don’t let you run naked as I do sometimes.” Eleni tilted her head. “But you did well, and I was proud of you.” She was suddenly chuckling again. “And I’ll be more proud if you don’t make mistakes and cause your mother to be angry with you. I’ve warned you about that. Running a race is one thing, but handling the people who can hurt you is more important.” Her smile faded. “And your mother does hurt you.”

  Riley couldn’t deny that. “Sometimes. She said she was sorry that she’d ever told me about you.” Riley frowned. “I had to tell her that—”

  “No, you didn’t,” Eleni interrupted. “Because she did tell you about me, and that means you win no matter what she thinks now. When you close your eyes, I’ll always be with you.”

  “She thinks you’re only a dream.” Riley scowled. “She laughed at me.”

  “A dream?” Eleni nodded. “She could be right. But what does it matter? I’m here and you’re here and together we’re strong enough to shape the world to suit ourselves. Would you like that?”

  “Yes.” Her eyes narrowed on Eleni’s face. “You’re different tonight. Why?”

  She shrugged. “I can’t stay the same all the time. We all change, Riley. Sometimes life changes us. I just found out that I have to choose a husband and I’m not certain that pleases me.”

  “Then don’t do it.”

  She chuckled. “But what if I miss some
thing interesting if I don’t? I’ve never been afraid of taking a chance. You mustn’t be, either.” She leaned back on her stool. “But we won’t talk about it now. Perhaps I’ll tell you how it worked out the next time we’re together. Or perhaps not, maybe I’ll have wonderful secrets that I won’t want to share.”

  “You’ll tell me,” Riley said flatly. “How can we shape the world to suit ourselves if you keep secrets from me?”

  “True.” Eleni was grinning again. “But for now you have to tell me your secrets. Start at the beginning of your day and tell me everything. How fast did you run? Did you see any new, wonderful creatures? What about your endurance? I’ve told you that’s just as important. Share with me, Riley.” Her smile was luminous as she coaxed, “And I promise I’ll always share with you…”

  Chapter

  1

  Azerbaijan Forest

  Present Day

  So much blood…

  And Riley couldn’t stop it. It was too late. She knew it was too late, but she kept her hand on the pressure point. Her father was gasping for breath and staring up at her in desperation. “Hurry. Get…out of…here, Riley. They were right…behind me.”

  “Hold on. Don’t give up. I’m not going to leave you.” Tears were pouring down her face and she impatiently wiped them away. “I don’t care about those bastards. I’ll hear them coming, and I’ll pick them off one by one. You’ve just got to hold on until I can stop this blood. Then I’ll get you out of here.”

  “Hold…on? I regret…I can’t…help you there.” A trickle of blood was coming from the corner of his mouth. “You never did…do anything I told you. But I can’t allow it this…time.” He looked at Dan, who was standing behind her. “Your uncle Dan is…always more…reasonable, thank God.” He stared him directly in the eye. “You’ll never get…what you want if they…get their hands on Riley. You know…that, don’t you, brother dear?”

  “I know it,” Dan said roughly. “But she might be able to get you out of here alive. I’ve seen her do harder things.”

  “You were never good…at calculating odds. I always had…the brains in the…family. That’s why I have…all those degrees.”

  “But I had all the fun. I’ve been thinking lately that wasn’t quite fair. All the more reason for me to let her try to help you.”

  “Don’t throw…that in my face now. You know…what has to be done.” His gaze shifted back to Riley. “And so do you. Don’t let them…take you. And don’t…ever let them take her.”

  “I can’t worry about that right now,” she said shakily. “It’s not too late. I think I might be able to cauterize this wound if Dan helps me.”

  “Oh, Dan is going…to help you.” He looked back at his brother. “Aren’t you? Now, Dan!”

  A blinding pain in her temple!

  Darkness!

  * * *

  Robaku, Maldara

  Central Africa

  Three Months Later

  Eve Duncan pushed back from her desk and gazed critically at the reconstruction she’d just completed. She was glad Gila was finally finished. Eve just hoped that her work would give back to the child’s mother a little of the joy and humanity she’d known before those guerrillas had broken into her daughter’s schoolroom and butchered her and her classmates. Only her mother had survived the attack on the village, and it was important that when Eve returned the reconstruction to her, she’d be able to see and remember all the love she’d known with her daughter. “What do you think, Gila?” she whispered. “Did I bring you home?”

  “Sure you did,” said a voice from the doorway behind her. “You bring them all home.”

  Eve whirled around in her chair to see Jill Cassidy leaning on the doorjamb and smiling at her. “Jill?” She jumped to her feet and ran across the space separating them. “I thought you were still in Egypt.” She gave her a hug. “When did you get in? What are you doing here?”

  “What I do, wherever I am.” She grinned. “You know me. I’m a reporter and I always have a story to tell or one to investigate. When Novak called me in Cairo and told me you’d come back to do a few more reconstructions at the request of the local government, I decided that I should hop a plane and come and see you. The last I heard was that you’d gone back to your lake cottage in Atlanta and were refusing to budge.”

  “Situations change,” Eve said. “And Joe and I decided to change with them. Michael was old enough to go to a wonderful school in Scotland that he’s crazy about. Jane and Seth Caleb have a house there and are keeping an eye on him.”

  “And Joe?” Jill’s eyes were narrowed on her face. “You’ve left out Joe. And he would never allow that to happen.”

  “Of course not,” Eve said. “Joe took a leave from his job so that he could spend more time at Scotland Yard and visiting Michael’s school, in between running over here to see me whenever he could.” She tilted her head. “So you can see we’re all accounted for and very content.”

  “Are you?” Jill slowly shook her head. “You forget I got to know you very well when we were here together trying to survive that post-civil-war madness. You wouldn’t be content unless you and your family were together. What went wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Eve looked her straight in the eyes. “Everything is going exactly the way we want it to. Back off, Jill.”

  Jill studied her for a moment and then smiled. “Never mind. I’ll find out on my own, and then I’ll fix it for you. You forgot what a good reporter I am.”

  Eve definitely had not forgotten that, she thought ruefully. Jill wouldn’t have won that Pulitzer before she was thirty if she hadn’t been super sharp. “I don’t want you to fix anything for me. All I want is to enjoy having you here, Jill.”

  “That’s what I want, too.” She shrugged. “You know me, I tend to screw things up for myself when I see something not quite…right. It’s my journalistic instinct.” Then she made a face. “But I definitely don’t want you to be wary of me. That’s not why I’m here. Let’s start over.” She strolled over to the reconstruction on the table for a closer look. “She’s absolutely wonderful. What’s her name?”

  “Gila. She was six years old when she was murdered. I just finished her today.”

  “I thought you were finished with doing the reconstructions on the village children before you left here?”

  “I did, but it was a terrible war. Those bloody mercenaries’ favorite sport was attacking the villages and killing innocent children. It didn’t end here in this village. But the government appreciated the job I did when I was here and asked if I’d come back and do several more reconstructions from a school in the northern province. I had the skulls brought to my studio here.” She gently touched Gila’s head. “She’s the last one they brought to me. I’m glad. I know it’s worthwhile, but it breaks my heart. I want it to be over.”

  “I can see how you would. But there’s no way they’re going to let you escape without a good reason. Everyone knows you’re the best forensic sculptor in the world.”

  “I have a good reason,” she said lightly. “As you’ve pointed out, I have a family that occasionally likes to have me around.”

  “And that you’ve mysteriously been avoiding.” She suddenly chuckled as she saw Eve’s pointed glance. “Okay, sorry. Let’s grab a bottle of water and walk down to the creek. I’ll tell you all about my research into the Egyptian tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Queens, and you can tell me about Joe and Michael.” She was already at the fridge across the room and pulling out two bottles of water. “My research was fascinating. But I’ll bet you had more fun than I did.”

  “No bet.” Eve took the bottle from Jill and headed for the door. “A walk will do me good. I’ve been working on Gila since dawn. I wanted to finish her.”

  “And you did a great job.” Jill was looking straight ahead. “But you’re right, all those tragic kids might be too much for you. Maybe you need a change of pace.”

  “What?” Eve turned to look at her. “Just what are you saying? That sounds suspiciously like the snow job you gave me to get me to come here and do those reconstructions a few years ago.”

  “It does, doesn’t it?” Jill asked cheerfully. “And I admit that was a snow job, but I only told you the sad story and let you choose for yourself. And in the end, I believe you found yourself agreeing that what we did was damn good for this entire country.”