HE’S COMING.
BE READY.
HUSH
I am tempted to type back and ask who’s coming and what I need to be ready for? But this person, whoever they are, has used our secret code for a reason, and responding might alert anyone monitoring our messages. And I assume ‘hush’ means I should keep this warning to myself.
When Coleman returns, I place my phone face down on the table, smile, accept the food, and thank him.
But I keep asking myself who’s coming and why I need to be ready. Has someone discovered we’re on our way to Hartfield?
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hartfield
Coleman finds a motel two hours’ drive from the coordinates Romano gave us, somewhere that even has an electric vehicle charging point. We check in for a couple of nights rather than planning to drive straight back. I try to act normally, but the messages have put me on edge. Once inside my room, I close the curtains and pull out my handgun, checking the flow of the operating mechanism before hiding the weapon beneath my pillow.
After freshening up, we share a plentiful, if not particularly imaginative, meal at the motel’s restaurant. I eat very little but manage a glass of red wine with the meal. Coleman opts for soda water with a slice of lemon. I half-listen as he shares stories of his experiences with the Callico family. His attempt to pepper his tales with humour does little to mask his vitriol.
We turn in at eight, agreeing to meet early for breakfast. I have just finished a few important tasks before bed when Lorenzo calls. Our distance has made me realise how much his voice grounds me. I know I’m wholly capable alone, but I feel something extra whenever I hear his voice and especially when he’s beside me. Lorenzo is less emotionally contained than I am and has me smiling when he complains about how much he wants to fuck me—or to be fucked by me. To lighten the mood, I tell him about the mound of fried fish and chips I had for dinner. Turns out Lorenzo is a fan of fish and chips, but when he tells me about the simple meal Mrs Bellacci threw together, I know I would trade places in a heartbeat.
He goes on to complain about being chosen for the security detail, claiming that his and Mrs Bellacci’s skills are wasted. And he is probably right. Although I don’t tell him, I’m sure Romano knows their presence will provide added protection and confidence. And as though the man himself has been listening in to my thoughts, Romano’s name pops up on my display. I explain to Lorenzo, who tells me to take the call because it might be urgent. As soon as I connect with Romano, I explain that I’ve been speaking with Lorenzo.
“I apologise for the interruption, Aksel. He will be in touch with you again tomorrow. Right now, though, I need you.”
“Do you want me to go and wake Mr Washington?”
“There is no need.”
I keep things brief, telling him about checking into the motel and our plans for the morning.
“What is the satellite link like?” he asks. His question is a good one because I’ve been increasingly worried as we made our way farther north.
“We have a good connection in the motel, but satnav kept dropping out in the car.”
“Be prepared to lose coverage. You may want to check whether the motel has a map of the area, just in case. Don’t rely on the car’s navigation system.”
“Understood. I might be able to download a map from my phone or at least ask the front desk to print it off in the morning. If necessary, we can always stop and ask directions.”
“Be careful who you speak to. You don’t want to attract any unnecessary attention. I know you are in a remote location, but local communities tend to be tightly knit and friendly, and infinitely less discreet. I expect this to be a quick in-and-out mission. I imagine that means you’ll be offline until you return. Tomorrow may be a wasted day, Aksel, but stay alert and pay attention. Do you still have the handgun we issued?”
“Of course.”
“Take it with you. Just as a precaution. And make sure you check in with me as soon as you’re back.”
“Will do. Any updates from your end?”
I can hear Romano hesitating. “Significant. But still some loose ends. And I do not want to distract you from your task. I promise to give you more when we next speak.”
“Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Good luck, Aksel,” he says, and I am sure he is about to end the call. “Don’t forget Albert’s last words to you.”
He rings off before I can consider whether to tell him about the cryptic message containing Albert’s pigpen cypher. Maybe that’s just as well because I’m still not sure what it means. What could Romano do, anyway? Albert is not alive. I remember Victoria telling someone on the phone that she had been the one called to identify Albert’s body. How could she have made a mistake identifying her own brother? The idea is ludicrous. But then, who sent the message, because they clearly know our code?
When I do finally sleep, I have troubled dreams of Albert standing at the edge of the pool as I surface from a punishingswim, shaking his head and urging me to remain still for a moment. In his usual calm way, he tells me that only if I let the waters calm will I discern the important pattern at the bottom of the pool. And something does niggle in my memory, like the Scottish mountains on the way up, the peaks shrouded in mist, ones I know are there, but I’m just not seeing right now.
When I rise at five, a large envelope has been pushed beneath my door. Inside is anA-Zroad atlas of the local area. No note is attached. I wrench open the room door and check outside, but everything is calm, no sign of movement. At breakfast, I toss the gift onto the table. Coleman stares in surprise for a moment before picking up the booklet and scanning through a couple of pages.