‘That’s if it doesn’t bring danger back home with it.’
She could tell he wasn’t entirely joking.
18
Oswald Seretse was waiting for Nina and Eddie at JFK — not in the arrivals area, but actually at the exit from the jet bridge where their airliner had pulled up. ‘Okay, that’s not a good sign,’ said Eddie as he spotted the tall Gambian diplomat beside an airport official. ‘Since when does he come to meet us?’
‘Oswald, what are you doing here?’ Nina asked as they reached him.
‘I wanted to speak to you as soon as possible,’ he replied. ‘I have a car waiting to take us to the United Nations.’
‘I don’t want to go to the United Nations,’ she objected. ‘I want to go home. Our daughter’s waiting for us.’
‘I am sorry, but this takes priority.’
‘You don’t get to tell us what’s a priority any more, Ozzy,’ Eddie said, frowning. ‘Maybe we’ll just get a taxi instead.’
Seretse sighed. ‘Very well. If we are able to finish discussing this matter by the time we reach Manhattan, I will tell the driver to take you to your apartment instead. Is that acceptable?’
Nina looked at Eddie, who reluctantly nodded. ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘You’d better start talking then.’
‘Considering the nature of the matter, it would perhaps be best to wait until we can discuss it in private.’ An electric cart stood nearby. The official took the wheel, and once the others had boarded, they set off through the terminal.
Nina made a phone call, putting it on speaker when she got a reply. ‘Holly, hi. We’re back — we’re at JFK.’
‘That’s such a relief,’ said her niece. ‘Are you both okay?’
‘We’re fine,’ Eddie told her. ‘More or less.’
The young woman’s voice filled with concern. ‘Meaning that… you’re not fine, but you don’t want to talk about it because you don’t want to worry me or Macy? What happened out there?’
‘We’re okay, we’re back home, and you and Macy really don’t need to worry,’ Nina said firmly. ‘Is she there?’
‘Yeah, she’s in her room… Macy! It’s your mum and dad on the phone!’
The sound of running footsteps getting closer was audible even over the phone’s little speaker. ‘Mommy!’ cried Macy. ‘Daddy, hi! Where are you?’
‘We’re at the airport, honey,’ said Nina. ‘We’re on our way home — we’ll be with you soon.’ She gave Seretse a pointed look.
Her daughter cheered. ‘I missed you, Mommy.’
‘And what about me?’ Eddie asked, after a worryingly long silence from the other end of the line.
‘I missed you too, Daddy! I wanted you to read me a story!’
Mother and father shared a smile. ‘I’ll read you one tonight, love,’ said Eddie.
‘The one about the eggs with legs!’
‘Yeah, eggs with legs. Again.’
‘We both love you,’ said Nina. ‘Can I talk to Holly again?’
The phone was handed over, Holly confirming that everything was in order at home. ‘Oh, and your friend rang a couple of times,’ she added.
‘Which friend?’
‘The old lady, the one who came here after the film premiere.’
‘What did she want?’ Nina asked warily.
‘She just wanted to know when you’d be back. She left a number — shall I tell her you’re home?’
‘No, that’s okay, I’ll phone her later.’ She tried to keep her expression neutral, not wanting Seretse to ask any questions. There were others she wanted Olivia to answer first.
‘All right. We’ll see you soon, then.’
Nina said goodbye and rang off. By now they had reached passport control, Seretse using his diplomatic credentials to see them waved through. Before long, the cart arrived at one of the airport’s exits. A black limousine was waiting outside. Seretse ushered them into its rear, then sat facing them. The car set off.
‘Now we can talk freely,’ said the diplomat. The screen between the rear compartment and the driver was shut. ‘What happened in Nepal is a most troubling situation.’
Eddie snorted sarcastically. ‘That’s a bloody understatement.’
‘By requesting the help of the IHA, you involved the United Nations. As a result, the Nepalis are now demanding answers from us.’
‘We told them everything we could before we left Kathmandu,’ said Nina.
‘Not everything they want to know — and need to know.’ Seretse’s tone, already serious, became positively grim. ‘Another UN department is now involved: the International Atomic Energy Agency. The discovery of a natural nuclear reactor in the Himalayas has created a stir, even though everything possible is being done to keep it classified.’
She nodded. ‘Yeah, I can see that it might.’
‘What’s happening with finding out who attacked us?’ Eddie asked.
‘Interpol is working with the Greek government to identify this man Axelos,’ the diplomat replied. ‘As yet, they have not found anything. It is not an uncommon name. Nor have the Nepalese authorities tracked him down. He has not left Nepal by any commercial flight, but that does not mean he is still in the country.’
‘How would he sneak out with something as big as… the artefact?’ said Nina, almost letting the Crucible’s name slip.
‘If they could afford to charter a couple of helicopters and pay a team of mercs, they’d be able to book a private flight to get it out of there,’ replied her husband.
‘This… artefact,’ said Seretse carefully. ‘You were unusually vague in your description of both its appearance and its purpose.’
‘I have my reasons for that,’ Nina replied. ‘I hope you’ll accept for now that they’re good ones.’
He frowned slightly, but nodded. ‘On the basis of your past record, I shall. For now. The artefact that Axelos stole, though: it was the only one, was it not?’
The redhead tried to hide her apprehension. ‘It’s what he came for, yeah.’
‘That is not what I asked.’
‘Something to say, Ozzy?’ said Eddie, fixing him with a stony stare.
Seretse was not intimidated. ‘I merely ask. I was curious about your arranging a United Nations diplomatic courier transfer of an unspecified item from Nepal.’ His own gaze became more penetrating. ‘To your home address.’
‘Ah.’ Nina took a deep breath. ‘So you found out about that.’
‘Did you really expect that I would not? I know you quite well, Nina. And you too, Eddie. It is not the first time you have… I hesitate to say “abused” the service to send items around the world without customs checks.’
‘Please don’t blame Lola for this,’ said Nina. ‘I asked her to keep it secret for a very good reason. The same reason I haven’t told anyone about the nature of the artefact. Artefacts.’
‘And would you care to share that reason with me?’
‘I will, yes. But not right now.’ He frowned again. ‘Look, Oswald, as you said, you know me. And you know I wouldn’t do this on a whim. What we found, we couldn’t leave in Nepal.’
‘Is it dangerous?’
‘Not in itself. But someone’s willing to kill to get hold of it. I didn’t tell anyone in the Nepalese government about it before we left — my priority was to get it as far away from the Midas Cave as possible. Enough people died or got hurt there already.’ The wounded, including Jayesh, had been airlifted from Detsen.
Seretse leaned back, face stern. ‘So why not turn it over to the IHA immediately?’
‘There was a leak somewhere,’ said Nina. ‘Not many people were in the loop, but Axelos knew I was going to Nepal, and why. I don’t want to risk anyone finding out that I’ve got this item, not yet. Not until I’ve had a chance to investigate it further.’