‘What?’
The first light of Sunday had not yet risen above the horizon. As they made their way carefully back to the car, Troy said, ‘The airport’s about fifty kilometres away. And there’s an early morning flight to Switzerland. I’ve stopped it. The passengers think the pilot’s ill and they’re waiting for a replacement.’
‘Why …?’
‘Because Sergio Treize — or Gareth Thirteen or whatever you want to call him — doesn’t seem to me to be the quitting kind. And he’s always a step ahead of us.’ He stopped and showed her a picture. ‘It’s a still from a camera at Gate Thirty-Two, the one the Swiss flight’s leaving from.’
‘And?’
‘Look at the man by the pillar. He’s got hair — a wig, maybe — a day’s growth of stubble and no glasses, but …’
Lexi peered at the photo. ‘That’s a lot of ifs and buts. And nowhere near the resolution you’d need for a facial recognition program. Have you checked the passenger list?’
‘No familiar names, but he seems to have plenty up his sleeve. I don’t know what’s on his passport.’
‘If you’re right, who’s that in Ely Eight’s house?’
‘No idea,’ Troy admitted. ‘But it could be the patient who was going to get your heart. I imagine your forensics will tell us …’
‘It’ll be a challenge after what the tissue and bones have been through.’
‘You’ll sort it out.’ Less confidently, Troy added, ‘Maybe Sergio left the body as a decoy, so we’d …’
Lexi interrupted, ‘Think exactly what I thought?’
Troy nodded. ‘The wrong tree, for barking up.’
‘You weren’t wasting time while I was having fun in a hot, toxic and unstable ruin.’ She examined the image from the airport again. ‘I’m not convinced, though.’
‘Neither am I,’ Troy said. ‘But you have to admit …’
‘I have to admit you won’t give up and go to your bed until you’re sure one way or the other.’
‘Less than a week and you’re getting to know me.’
In the car, Lexi said firmly, ‘The airport.’
SCENE 30
At the airport, Troy told the Head of Security about the passenger he wanted to interview. He asked for a ring of security guards around the wing that housed Gate 32. ‘Every conceivable exit, please. The public ones and the staff-only ones. Access to shafts or whatever. If he does a runner, he mustn’t get away.’
‘That’s not one of the scenarios we’ve practised, but it’s straightforward enough. I’ll have that section sealed within five minutes.’
‘We’ll hang on,’ Troy decided. ‘Tell me when a mouse couldn’t escape, then we’ll move in.’
Troy and Lexi went through the departure lounge to Gate 30 and waited for the signal that all the guards were in place. From where they stood, Troy could just hear a calming announcement in the neighbouring area. A sympathetic voice was apologising for the disruption to the flight, reassuring a restless bunch of travellers that a pilot was nearly ready and that they would be able to board the aircraft very soon. It was clear to Troy that the crew was as much in the dark as the passengers. The man making the announcement had probably not been told there was a different reason for delaying the departure. If Sergio Treize was among the impatient travellers, Troy didn’t know whether he would be anxious, suspicious or enraged. Whatever his emotion, he’d be dangerous.
The message transmitted to Troy’s life-logger was simple. All officers in place. Troy took a deep breath and nodded at Lexi. Side-by-side and without a word, they strode a few paces down the terminal corridor and entered Gate 32.
Immediately, a passenger at the far side of the area jumped to his feet. It was the man Troy suspected of being Sergio Treize. Eyes wild, he glanced around, assessing the situation. He would have seen two detectives blocking the entrance and two beefy guards blocking the way to the aircraft. He would have realized at once that he was trapped.
Quick-witted, though, he worked out a way of escaping that Troy hadn’t anticipated. He plucked a girl — about five years old — from the seat in front of him. He held her up effortlessly with his left arm and shouted, ‘Stand back. You’re going to let me walk — or she gets it.’ A sudden spasm made his head jerk.
The girl lashed out, trying to scratch his face. She succeeded only in removing his wig. She was so astonished by the disappearance of her captor’s hair that she didn’t continue the struggle. She screamed and then sobbed in the direction of her distraught mother or nanny.
Troy saw a facial resemblance between the girl and the woman so he guessed that they were daughter and mother. He stepped forward to face Sergio Treize. ‘I don’t think you want to do this. You’re on enough charges already. No judge is lenient with anybody who threatens a child. And you can’t escape.’
‘Wrong. You’ve got nothing on me and if you want this kid back in one piece …’
The passengers had forgotten about their flight. They were absorbed by the drama taking place among them, horrified, silent. Apart from the girl’s mother. She began to wail and suddenly darted at Sergio. She didn’t stand a chance. Still encircling the girl with his left arm, he punched the mother with his right. It was vicious and precise, almost professional. She staggered back and fell onto a seat, completely dazed. The other travellers gasped.
Troy looked directly into Sergio’s face. He saw a man who was determined and utterly ruthless. He wasn’t bluffing. Maybe he twitched because he was always tense — on the verge of an explosive temper.
Talking to the girl, Troy asked, ‘What’s your name?’
Through the tears and the choking, she spluttered, ‘Melanie.’
‘All right, Melanie. I need you to stay calm. Your mum’s fine. Just a bit wobbly. I’ll make sure you’re back with her soon. Okay? I promise. Just do as the man says. Don’t do anything to make him angry.’
Sergio smirked at Troy. ‘Nice speech. Wise words. Now, contact security and use some more wise words. Clear the way for me. Go on. Take your own advice. Do what the man says. Don’t make him angry.’
Troy wished he knew more about his partner. He wished he’d learned to read Lexi’s mind. Would she be doing some crazy calculation, balancing the value of catching a killer against the life of a child? Or would she have some brilliant idea? Troy knew only his own mind. Catching a killer wasn’t worth the risk to any child. ‘All right,’ he said hesitantly.
Sergio grinned widely. ‘There’s no problem with our pilot, is there? That was make-believe. So I want this flight in the air in fifteen minutes. Understand? The girl stays with me. I’ll release her when I’ve touched down, beyond your reach.’
‘Better go along with it,’ Lexi said. ‘I’ll go and sort it out with the manager.’
So, Lexi did have a plan. Troy didn’t know what it was but he was sure she had no intention of allowing Sergio Treize to flee from the law and win his freedom in Switzerland.
Within minutes, the crew announced the boarding of the flight. Before Sergio and Melanie joined the queue, Troy checked his life-logger and nodded at them. ‘You’ve got the all-clear to go. No one’ll stop you.’
Sergio laughed as he joined the other passengers. ‘You’re not sure your partner’s doing the right thing, are you? Letting me go. But she is — if you want the kid back safe and sound.’
Troy did not reply. If the stakes had not been so high, he would have found the comment amusing. Sergio had got the two of them entirely wrong. It was Troy who would trade a killer’s freedom for a girl’s life. It was Lexi who’d be tempted to do something rash. Troy assumed that was exactly what she was planning as the murderer walked down the loading bridge and onto the aircraft.