Lorne woke after a fitful night’s sleep to a beautiful dawn chorus. It was one of the main reasons she loved living out in the country. She stretched beside Tony, hugged and kissed his back, then leapt out of bed to take a shower. At six thirty, she crept downstairs only to find Charlie sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereals.
“Wow, you’re up early,” her daughter said.
Lorne kissed the top of Charlie’s head and made a mug of coffee, which she topped up with cold water so it was cool enough to down in a few gulps. “Busy day ahead. How did it go last night?”
Finishing a mouthful of cornflakes, Charlie replied, “Good. Sheba was fab. I think I’m going to enjoy it there.”
“Ah! That’s young person’s lingo for ‘I might have seen a nice boy there,’ isn’t it?” Lorne tapped the side of her nose with her finger.
Charlie’s cheeks immediately flared up.
“No need to reply, sweetheart. Your face is telling me all I need to know.”
Charlie poked her tongue out at her, and Lorne laughed.
“Okay, this conversation needs to be revisited when I get back tonight—if I get back, that is.” She added the final part quietly.
Charlie wasn’t easily fooled, though. “Oh? What’s going on? A huge case?”
“Yep, very huge! I’ll have to fill you in later, sweetheart. Stay vigilant throughout the day, as usual, okay?”
“Sure. But you can’t just tell me that and run. What gives, Mum?”
“I really don’t have the time, love. Just do as I ask. I think Tony will be hanging around today anyway.”
“Now you’re freaking me out. He’s going to be here for my protection. Is that what you’re getting at?”
“No! Look, Charlie. Just listen to me. Don’t argue or try and analyse what I’m saying. I have to run. Love you loads.” She ran out the kitchen door and jumped in the car. When she reversed and drove past the house, she saw an irritated Charlie standing at the back door with her hands on her hips. Lorne waved and blew her a kiss, which was not reciprocated. Crap! The last thing I wanted to do was piss her off.
Falling out with her daughter so early in the day didn’t bode well for what lay ahead of her. She sighed constantly as she battled the commuters joining her, driving into London at this ungodly hour.
She arrived at the station and ran up the stairs to the incident room. Gasping for breath, she looked up at the clock on the wall. 6:58. Christ! That was a close shave. The door opened behind her, scaring the crap out of her. “What the?”
“Yes, Inspector? Don’t let me stop you. Surprised to see me at this time of day?”
She pulled a face at her superior. “I was just catching my breath, only just got here myself before the call comes in. And yes, I’m surprised to see you. Glad to see you’re taking your role as my partner seriously, though.”
“Of course. I know the consequences you’d likely dish out if I didn’t.”
Lorne’s mobile rang, halting their ribbing each other. She took a few short breaths and then answered. “Hello.”
“Ah, I do hope you are where you’re supposed to be, Inspector? At the office and not at home.”
“I am indeed, as instructed.”
“Good. Then let us begin. When I said you’ll have your work cut out for you over the next few days, I meant it. You will have thirty-six hours to come up with ten million in cash, used notes. Any sign of the notes being tampered with, and the kid gets it. Right?”
“Yes, you have my word on that. Where is this money coming from? Mr. Hardy?”
“How the fuck should I know? Just get it. For someone who is supposed to be the best detective in the Met, you ask some pretty stupid questions.”
“I’m sorry. All I was asking in a roundabout way is whether Mr. Hardy was aware of the ransom demand or not.”
“He’s not. You are. Enough said. Do what you need to do to get that money. Now, listen very carefully. I want you to get in your car—take your mobile with you, of course—and head into the heart of the city.”
“Any particular spot? It’s a vast area.”
Warrior laughed loudly in her ear. “Don’t I know it? And so will you by the end of this adventure. I’ll contact you again in twenty minutes. That should give you enough time.”
“But...” Lorne tried to argue with him, but the line went dead. “Crap.”
Sean had listened to the conversation close to Lorne’s side. “Well, I’m coming with you.”
“What? You can’t do that.”
“Did you hear him say anything about going it alone?”
She contemplated his question then shook her head. “No. Okay. I’m going to leave these notes here for Katy to deal with and then get on the road. Are you ready for this?”
“Ready or not, here we come. Twenty minutes doesn’t give us much time. Maybe we can fool him into thinking we’re closer if we get stuck in a traffic jam.”
“I wouldn’t take this guy lightly if I were you, Sean. You risk getting the Hardys killed.”
“Okay, for your information, I was just teasing.”
“My advice would be not to intentionally wind me up on this mission. I might not be responsible for my actions, and I would hate to be demoted the day after gaining my promotion.”
Lorne quickly wrote a note and left it on AJ’s desk, which was nearest to the door, then she bolted down the stairs, knocking several uniformed officers out of her way in her haste.
“Hey, slow down,” Sean advised from fifty yards behind her as he tried his hardest to keep up with her.
“Here’s a novelty suggestion for you to consider, boss; why don’t you up a gear and push yourself? It would be great if you at least tried to keep up with me.” She reached her car, turned, and smiled. She jumped in and revved the engine a few times impatiently while she waited for him to join her. She swiftly left the car park once Sean had secured his seatbelt in place.
“Do you want me to use the satnav, for the quickest route?” Sean asked.
She glanced his way with a look that questioned whether he was pulling her leg or not. He shrugged his innocence in return.
“I think I have this one in hand, boss. Thanks, all the same.” She put her foot down harder than usual, her escalating pulse rate driving her actions more than she’d anticipated. Winding her way through the steady flow of traffic, she crunched through several of the gears and glanced sharply to look at Sean when he cursed under his breath. “Maybe you should drive once we arrive at our destination,” she snapped back at him.
“That’s a great idea. Why hadn’t I thought of that?”
She quickly glanced back at him and scowled. They approached the outskirts of the city, with five minutes to spare. “Where do you suggest I head for?”
“Buck Palace is as good a place as any.”
Her mobile rang before she could select the right gear and pull away again. “Where are you?” Warrior demanded.
“I was heading for Buckingham Palace.”
“Forget that. Go to the Tower.”
“What? The Tower of London?”
“You heard me. I’ll give you twenty minutes, no longer, to get there.”
“Jesus, do you think this car has got wings?” Lorne complained, eyeing the traffic building up around her.
He said nothing in response. However, Lorne heard mutterings then the distinctive muffled sounds of the baby crying. The sound grew louder the more the man spoke to the infant.
“Want to challenge me again, Simpkins?”
“No. There’s no need to keep hurting the child.”
“Hurt it. A light tap, and you think that’s hurting the bloody thing? Maybe I should start breaking some limbs, see how the child reacts then. The ball’s in your court, lady. Slip up, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, very clear. I’m on my way now.”
“Remember... the clock is ticking. Tick tock!”
His laughter chilled her to the bone as he ended the call. If ever there was an urgency to not foul up a case, it was evident every time Warrior issued a threat against the child.
“Keep focused, Lorne,” Sean ordered as if picking up on her damning thoughts.
“I intend to. Right, it’s off to the Tower.”
It wasn’t long before they had St. Paul’s Cathedral in their sights. Lorne swallowed hard when she noted the time on her dashboard and the number of cars moving at a snail’s pace in front of her. “I’m worried we’re not going to make it. Damn, is that his intention? To ask the impossible of us? Is that what the next thirty-six hours are going to consist of?”
“Well, if it is, then between us, we’ll ensure we’re up for the challenge. If I remember rightly, the Tower is only about ten minutes from St. Paul’s.”
“Yeah, you’re right, in light traffic maybe. I could always use my siren?”
“We’ve got plenty of time. I’d rather not panic the general public into causing a crash, if it’s all the same to you, Inspector. The cars wouldn’t be able to let us through anyway. If we need to use it later then that’s a different story. Stop complaining and put your foot down.”
Lorne pouted and shook her head at what seemed to be an impossible task. Yep, when we stop, matey, you’re definitely taking over the driving seat.
The minutes ticked by agonisingly, but they still managed to reach their destination with a full minute to spare. Lorne sat there, with the engine still running, in the car park of the major tourist attraction and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “Where is he? Ring, damn you.”
Sean chuckled. “Patience was never a strong suit of yours, was it?”
Another scowl descended, and Lorne punched him in the leg. “Boss or no boss, wisecracks are not permitted at this time.” Her mobile rang, saving them both from further conflict. “Hello.”
“You made it then. Good.”
Lorne scanned the car park to see if there were any cars in the vicinity. There were a few cars in the car park, but all of them appeared to be empty. That can’t be right. He can’t be here. That would mean he would have to take the child with him. Or he has a partner... “Yes. I’m here.”
“Right, here’s where the treasure hunt begins. Go to the White Tower. Somewhere near the entrance will be an object out of keeping with its surroundings.”
“Crap, you can’t leave me dangling like that.”
“Watch me! You have until eight ten to find it. That’s thirty minutes.”
Lorne stared at her phone for a split second after Warrior hung up. “Shit! We have to go. Any idea which tower is which?”
“No idea. I haven’t been here for years. As London residents, we rarely visit the tourist sites, do you?”
“No, and that’s not helpful.” Lorne got out of the vehicle and slammed the door.
Sean moved around the car to stand beside her and withdrew his mobile from his pocket. “Let’s see if we can get the info from the net.”
“Can you do that while we walk? We’re wasting time, and the countdown has begun.” Lorne impatiently trotted off towards the vast and intimidating castle.
“Of course. It says here that the Tower dates back to the eleventh century. Holy crap, that’s over a thousand years old.”
“Oh, great. By the end of the day, you’ll be an expert tour guide. Any chance you can throw some water on your enthusiasm there, Sean?”
“Sorry. This is interesting stuff.”
“Yeah, for tourists, not for investigating officers trying to track down a suspect holding a woman and her child captive.”
“Okay, I hear you. Keep your hair on. I’ll save that page for later.”
Luckily for Lorne, she had chosen to wear trainers instead of the mid-height heels she usually favoured to wear at work. She ran ahead of Sean, turned, and urged him to keep up.
He was struggling to run while looking down at his mobile.
“Sean, for Christ’s sake,” she shouted back at him. I’m beginning to wonder if I would have been better off doing this alone.
“Whoa! Anne Boleyn was beheaded with an axe in this very tower.”
Lorne frowned and dug deep into her memory for something she’d heard regarding that fact on TV a few years ago. “I think you’ll find that was reported incorrectly at one point. She was actually beheaded by a sword, not an axe.”
He chortled. “You’re good. I was testing you. I didn’t know that Guy Fawkes was tortured and interrogated here, though. That’s amazing.” He shuddered. “All that history, if walls could speak, eh?”
Lorne inwardly cursed and shouted over her shoulder, “Sean, back in the car, you told me to remain focused. Now I’m begging you to do the same. Otherwise, you might as well return to base. Harsh words—I know—but true.”
“All right. I’m just throwing out some facts while we work, interesting facts, at that.”
Lorne raised her arms out to the side and slapped them against her thigh. “I frigging give up. Button it and get a move on,” she shouted, incensed. She heard Sean mumble some kind of apology and heard his footsteps pick up pace behind her. Finally, he caught up with her.
“Right, we’re here. His instructions were to look around for something that is totally out of place in its surroundings.”
“That’s a tad cryptic, isn’t it?”
“I doubt this guy has plans to make this exercise a breeze. I think we should split up and take a section at a time.”
“I think it would be wiser for us to search the same area and then move onto the next one. It’ll save time.”
“Is that how it’s going to be, Sean? I say one thing, and you suggest the total opposite? We do things my way, okay? I’m in charge of this investigation. You’re only tagging along for the ride, pretending to be my partner, right?”
He ignored her comment and searched the immediate area close to the Tower’s walls.
Lorne was grateful he didn’t retaliate. The last thing she needed was a sulking chief inspector hanging around her neck. She scanned the area a few feet away from her partner and asked, “Anything?”
“Nope. I’m moving on.”
They both took a few steps to their right and continued to repeat the process for the next ten infuriating minutes. “This is bloody impossible. There’s such a vast area to search, it’s pointless.”
“Call him back. His number has registered, hasn’t it?”
“Nope. I didn’t expect him to be that dumb. He’s probably using a pay-as-you-go phone to keep us on our toes. Let’s move areas and widen the gap between us.”
They had worked their way along one side of the tower and had three remaining walls to check. Nearing the end of the stone wall, Lorne spotted something in a clump of long grass close to the end turret. “Here, what do you reckon, Sean?”
He looked down at the yellow object and nodded. “It has to be.”
Lorne grabbed the plastic yellow duck and picked it up. Her mobile rang immediately. “Hello.”
“It took you long enough, Simpkins.”
“I’ve got it. What do you want me to do with it?”
“Chuck it in the nearest bin then get back to the car and head for Marble Arch.”
“Are you kidding me? We’ve just come from that direction.”
“And whinging like that ain’t gonna help your cause, lady. Now get cracking. I’m going to be more generous and give you a full forty-five minutes to get there. However, don’t take me for a fool. I won’t be so thoughtful at other locations.”
“Thanks,” she said grudgingly. “What should I look for when I arrive?”
“Go to the Marriot Hotel and await further instructions.”
“On my way now,” she said. However, the line was already dead.
“Where to now?” Sean asked, trotting after her as they made their way back to the car.
“The Marriot Hotel, and you’re driving. My car that is, as well as driving me nuts.”
“Ha! Bloody, ha! I’m a better driver than you anyway, so I’m sure your car will be pleased for the respite.”
Lorne’s eyes narrowed when she turned to look at him. “If it keeps you off that damn phone, I’m willing to cave on that one.”