locals to deal with.’
‘We will need more than a handful of locals to contain Mardrid’s thugs.’
‘I know, but this at least will give them hope.’ He takes a moment to think, then adds, ‘I’ll seek approval from the Inner Circle to raise crusaders and have the action ratified by an extraordinary meeting of the Blood Line.’ Owain’s mood darkens as he imagines what else Mardrid may have brewing. ‘Any news on Marchetti? Is that viperous traitor already in the Spanish devil’s nest?’
‘He flew into Charles de Gaulle yesterday, but we haven’t found out whether he caught a connecting flight or stayed in the city.’
‘He’ll have flown on. Find where Mardrid is and you’ll find Marchetti.’ Owain stands and straightens out the jacket of his navy-blue suit. ‘I’m sorry; I really have to rush. Will you drive Jennifer to Caergwyn in the morning? I’ll join you there when I can.’
‘It will be my pleasure.’
‘
Merci
.’ Owain leaves to say goodbye to his wife.
He finds her stood by the front door in a short brown tweed skirt and an ochre-coloured jacket. The earthy colours complement her blonde hair and blue eyes.
‘I’m sorry.’ He stoops to kiss her. ‘You have no idea how much I want to stay with you and be in your bed tonight.’
‘I think I do.’ And the look in her eyes confirms it. ‘I’ve had your overnight bag with your dinner suit and change of clothes put in the aircraft.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Be careful.’
‘I always am.’
He can still smell her perfume and feel the tingle of her lips as he boards the Bell.
The helicopter blades quickly build noise and speed. With a graceful lunge it leaves the ground, billowing dust and shaking trees.
Owain sees his wife wave and then drift back inside. He looks forward as the craft climbs into the pale evening cloud-base and banks east towards London and Buckingham Palace. In a short while, he’ll take part in a meeting so secret he hasn’t even told Jennifer about it.
41
NORTH BETHESDA, MARYLAND
It’s gone three p.m. when Mitzi leaves Sophie Hudson’s place.
Irish is asleep at the wheel, his seat laid out flat and the car sunk in a pool of shade beneath some elms.
She opens the passenger door quietly, gets in and slams it.
Irish sits up fast. ‘Whadafuck!’
‘Result,’ she says mischievously.
He blinks and rubs blood into his face. ‘What?’
She holds up the silver memory stick Sophie had given her. ‘This is what your store girl was keeping from you.’
He cranks his seat back into an upright position and takes it. ‘What’s on here?’
‘Remains to be seen. Scratch on the side says CODE X . Sophie Hudson said her boss got it as a kind of sample for some deal he was doing. Apparently, it contains only letters and numbers.’
‘Sounds like a scam.’
‘Run me to the hotel so I can dump my stuff, then we can look and maybe get something to eat and drink.’
He starts the engine. ‘Good idea.’
‘Coffee. That’s the drink I have in mind.’
He lets the snipe slide as he swings the Taurus round and out towards Kensington. ‘So the woman-to-woman trick worked, hey?’ He looks pleased with himself. ‘How d’you play it? Momsy or sisterly?’
‘
Momsy?
’ She shoots him a stare that could kill. ‘You looking to spend the afternoon in hospital?’
‘Okay.’ He raises a hand to acknowledge his error.
‘She needed a little jolt, that’s all.’ Mitzi glances out the window as they make their way down a long tree-lined avenue. ‘It’s pretty out here. We going far?’
‘Too pretty for murder. We got about three miles to go.’ He switches the radio on to pass the time. Country music crackles in cheap door speakers.
‘Sign to your right says Rock Creek.’ Mitzi points it out. ‘That where the second body turned up?’
‘Yeah. Rock Creek Trail. It’s a twenty-mile woodland walk from Lake Needwood to just south of where the stiff was buried.’
‘You got a name on him
‘We will need more than a handful of locals to contain Mardrid’s thugs.’
‘I know, but this at least will give them hope.’ He takes a moment to think, then adds, ‘I’ll seek approval from the Inner Circle to raise crusaders and have the action ratified by an extraordinary meeting of the Blood Line.’ Owain’s mood darkens as he imagines what else Mardrid may have brewing. ‘Any news on Marchetti? Is that viperous traitor already in the Spanish devil’s nest?’
‘He flew into Charles de Gaulle yesterday, but we haven’t found out whether he caught a connecting flight or stayed in the city.’
‘He’ll have flown on. Find where Mardrid is and you’ll find Marchetti.’ Owain stands and straightens out the jacket of his navy-blue suit. ‘I’m sorry; I really have to rush. Will you drive Jennifer to Caergwyn in the morning? I’ll join you there when I can.’
‘It will be my pleasure.’
‘
Merci
.’ Owain leaves to say goodbye to his wife.
He finds her stood by the front door in a short brown tweed skirt and an ochre-coloured jacket. The earthy colours complement her blonde hair and blue eyes.
‘I’m sorry.’ He stoops to kiss her. ‘You have no idea how much I want to stay with you and be in your bed tonight.’
‘I think I do.’ And the look in her eyes confirms it. ‘I’ve had your overnight bag with your dinner suit and change of clothes put in the aircraft.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Be careful.’
‘I always am.’
He can still smell her perfume and feel the tingle of her lips as he boards the Bell.
The helicopter blades quickly build noise and speed. With a graceful lunge it leaves the ground, billowing dust and shaking trees.
Owain sees his wife wave and then drift back inside. He looks forward as the craft climbs into the pale evening cloud-base and banks east towards London and Buckingham Palace. In a short while, he’ll take part in a meeting so secret he hasn’t even told Jennifer about it.
41
NORTH BETHESDA, MARYLAND
It’s gone three p.m. when Mitzi leaves Sophie Hudson’s place.
Irish is asleep at the wheel, his seat laid out flat and the car sunk in a pool of shade beneath some elms.
She opens the passenger door quietly, gets in and slams it.
Irish sits up fast. ‘Whadafuck!’
‘Result,’ she says mischievously.
He blinks and rubs blood into his face. ‘What?’
She holds up the silver memory stick Sophie had given her. ‘This is what your store girl was keeping from you.’
He cranks his seat back into an upright position and takes it. ‘What’s on here?’
‘Remains to be seen. Scratch on the side says CODE X . Sophie Hudson said her boss got it as a kind of sample for some deal he was doing. Apparently, it contains only letters and numbers.’
‘Sounds like a scam.’
‘Run me to the hotel so I can dump my stuff, then we can look and maybe get something to eat and drink.’
He starts the engine. ‘Good idea.’
‘Coffee. That’s the drink I have in mind.’
He lets the snipe slide as he swings the Taurus round and out towards Kensington. ‘So the woman-to-woman trick worked, hey?’ He looks pleased with himself. ‘How d’you play it? Momsy or sisterly?’
‘
Momsy?
’ She shoots him a stare that could kill. ‘You looking to spend the afternoon in hospital?’
‘Okay.’ He raises a hand to acknowledge his error.
‘She needed a little jolt, that’s all.’ Mitzi glances out the window as they make their way down a long tree-lined avenue. ‘It’s pretty out here. We going far?’
‘Too pretty for murder. We got about three miles to go.’ He switches the radio on to pass the time. Country music crackles in cheap door speakers.
‘Sign to your right says Rock Creek.’ Mitzi points it out. ‘That where the second body turned up?’
‘Yeah. Rock Creek Trail. It’s a twenty-mile woodland walk from Lake Needwood to just south of where the stiff was buried.’
‘You got a name on him
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