“And this scheme was his idea of a quiet retirement?”
“No. He was approached by al-Aqsaba’a. They had some evidence about the people of theirs who’d got on the wrong side of his demolition ball, apparently. They offered him a deal. Procure the caesium, or they’d hang him out to dry.”
“How did you find out?”
“He came to me. Offered them to me on a plate. I’d take the glory, and in return I’d ensure the evidence would never see the light of day.”
“A tidy arrangement. Only it seems you both were trying to embellish a little.”
Hardwicke smiled.
“I’ve never been a fan of leaving hostages to fortune,” he said.
“Maybe Leckie knew that,” I said. “Maybe that’s why he moved the final act to the hospital?”
“Maybe. I honestly don’t know. But knowing Leckie like I do, I bet there was more to it. He never accepted having to leave the service. Deep down, he thought we were weak. He thought everyone should behave like he did. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d planned it that way all along. Then instead of glory, we’d be disgraced. There’d be calls for the service to toughen up. And he’d imagine himself being welcomed back with open arms.”
“Doesn’t sound too rational.”
“Psychopaths seldom are.”
Melissa’s hand seemed to be clawing at my waistband, which was strange. There’d be no danger of her slipping off if she’d only stay still.
“And what about the evidence al-Aqsaba’a were blackmailing him with?”
“That’ll be what the second stolen batch of caesium was for. A frame. I bet he’d have planted it at one of their houses, or mosques even, and blackmailed the blackmailers. I’d have liked to ask him about it, actually, but Jones’s finger was a bit too itchy.”
“Jones was working for him?”
“Jones was working for both us. Only he didn’t realise it.”
“How did he get hooked up in the first place? They never served at the same time. I checked.”
“That made them the ideal combination. There were no grounds for suspicion. So I had a mutual friend introduce them. Jones was pretty useful, for a while. You know, Leckie actually had him convinced they were doing the right thing? And he certainly helped keep my blood pressure down. When that idiot fireman damaged the vault door? The fake burglary? That could have been stressful, otherwise.”
Then the penny dropped. I realised what Melissa was doing.
“There never was anyone coming to collect the caesium from the thieves, was there?” I said.
“Of course not,” Hardwicke said. “It had to be recovered, so everyone would think none was missing.”
“The thugs who jumped me outside my building?”
“Leckie’s idea. He thought you were getting too close. Jones arranged it, though.”
Melissa tapped me twice in the small of my back. She must have got what she needed.
“And the idiots who came after us at Melissa’s apartment?” I said.
“Leckie again,” Hardwicke said. “He was starting to panic. And lose faith in Jones.”
“Why did Jones take a beating, to protect me?”
“The way I heard it, he had no choice. He didn’t know where you’d gone.”
I took a moment to think, and realised that was true. I’d left Jones alone so he wouldn’t overhear my phone calls, and I hadn’t told him where I was heading because I’d had no clear idea myself.
“It was what you could call an irrevocable breakdown in their relationship,” Hardwicke said. “Jones got scared. He realised Leckie was getting ready to cut his losses. So he decided to get his retaliation in first.”
“And he was prepared to sacrifice Melissa to do that?” I said.
“I don’t know. Maybe Jones snatched her from the hospital. Maybe he tricked her. But it really doesn’t matter, now. He’s dead. And he’s just as useful to me that way. Just as the two of you are going to be. Now, turn around.”
“Really?” I said. “I thought it would be harder than that.”
“What would?”
“Doesn’t matter. You really want me to turn around?”
“I do. Because I’m going to shoot you in the back. That way, when your people find you, they’ll think you died running away from someone.”
“Well, if you’re sure,” I said. “Everybody ready?”
Melissa tapped my back. I pivoted on the spot, 180 degrees, and almost simultaneously I heard two gunshots. It was like an old fashioned duel, I thought, bracing myself for the impact of a bullet.
None came.
“Are you OK?” I said, turning back to face the spot where Hardwicke had been standing.
“I’m fine,” Melissa said, almost in a whisper.
Hardwicke was lying on his back. His eyes were screwed shut, and he was clutching his chest and writhing. I stepped closer and kicked the rifle well out of his reach, then gently lowered Melissa’s feet to the ground. I kept a tight hold under her arms, taking most of her weight, and she kicked him hard in the side of the head. His writhing subsided, but she waited for him to open his eyes before doing anything else.
“Goodbye,” she said finally, holding his gaze. “Sir.”
Then she lined up the .22 and fired two more times.
Chapter Forty-Three
Melissa dropped the gun, turned, and walked away from Hardwicke and Jones’s bodies as if they were nothing more than rotting tree trunks. She moved slowly at first, then picked up speed and I realised she was heading back towards the main building. I thought she must be making for the wall she’d been chained to, but she didn’t get that far. Instead, she stopped when she reached the spot where Leckie had fallen. She paused there for a moment, her head tipped down like she was praying. Then she knelt, stretched out her right hand, and placed it over the blood-sodden hole in the back of his coat.
I stepped up alongside her, and saw she was crying. She wasn’t making a sound, but large heavy tears were cascading down her cheeks and dripping off both sides of her chin. Some had landed on the remains of her left wrist, which she was still clutching to her chest, diluting the blood and carrying it further down her arm.
“It’s my fault he’s dead,” she said, without looking at me. “He came here to save me.”
“It was Jones who brought you?” I said.
She nodded.
“How?” I said.
“At the hospital,” she said. “When I went to look for the nurse, to ask about that stupid kid. Jones was there. He pulled a gun on me.”
“He was lying when he told me Leckie had you?”
“Of course. He said that to lure you here. He wanted to kill us both, and let the blame fall on Leckie. Only he didn’t count on Hardwicke being here.”
“Hardwicke was driving the crane?”
“That’s right. It was like him forging Leckie’s signature. Jones wasn’t expecting that.”
“But Leckie was here to save you?”
“Yes.”
“Not to kill anyone?”
“No.”
“So you were in on his plan, too?”
“No,” she said, pulling her right hand back and spinning round to face me. “Absolutely not.”