“No, I’ve seen it somewhere else,” mumbled William, as he set off in pursuit of Heath. Once he was inside the terminal, he quickly checked the departures board. BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHT 012 TO RIO DE JANEIRO, 16:20. GATE 27 flicked up on the display. He passed quickly through the crowded concourse, avoiding suitcases and outstretched legs as he headed toward the check-in desks, his eyes continually searching for his quarry. And then he spotted Adrian, still dressed in his smart courtroom-appearance suit, embracing a young woman at the BA counter who he assumed must be Maria Ruiz. He slipped behind a pillar, and waited for Paul to join him.
William watched as they kissed and began chatting excitedly. He only wished he could overhear their conversation.
“How did it go?” asked Maria.
“Exactly as planned, except I ended up with twenty grand, not ten.”
“Don’t you feel a little guilty ab
out what you’ve done to your old school friend?”
“Not if his father’s half as bright as the press claim. By this time tomorrow, if not sooner, he’ll have gone over the transcript of my testimony and seen that I’ve handed him a golden opportunity to trap Faulkner. So it’s even more important we’re well out of harm’s way long before Faulkner finds out that I double-crossed him.”
“Our flight leaves in forty minutes,” said Maria, checking the departure board.
“Perfect. But it would be better if we split up, and meet again on board the plane. There might be someone looking out for us. You take this,” he said, handing over the briefcase and her ticket.
Maria embraced him again, before reluctantly leaving to climb onto the escalator leading to departures. After waving to her, Adrian headed toward the men’s room.
William watched as Maria disappeared from view. His instructions had made no mention of her. He was simply to arrest Heath and bring him back to the Old Bailey.
“On what charge?” he’d asked Lamont.
“My bet is he’ll be traveling on a false passport, and there’ll be enough evidence in that briefcase to prove his testimony was bought. Don’t be surprised if you find it’s a lot more than ten thousand.”
A few moments later a voice said, “Do you want me to follow her, sarge?”
“No. We’ll arrest Heath first and then go after her. She won’t be going anywhere without him.”
They both kept their eyes on the men’s room, as they waited for Heath to reappear.
“He’s taking his time,” said Paul. “A change of clothes perhaps?”
“No, he didn’t have anything with him when he went inside. My bet is they’ve agreed to meet up again on the plane.”
“What makes you think that?”
“She’s got the money.”
“Should I go and check he’s still in there?”
“Where else could he be?” said William, as a man they both recognized immediately came running out of the men’s room.
“So now we know who was on the other bike,” said Paul. “Which one do you want me to go after?”
“Tulip,” said William, remembering where he’d last seen the black Yamaha. “And make sure you arrest him.”
“On what charge?”
“I have a feeling I’m about to find out,” said William, as he headed for the men’s room. “Get going!”
Paul took off after Tulip, no longer caring about stray bags or stretched-out legs, and just as William had reached the entrance to the men’s room another man came rushing out, shouting, “Help, somebody call the police, help!”
As William was about to go inside, a third man burst past him, struggling to do up his zip while on the move. William pushed open the door and tentatively entered the washroom. He came to a sudden halt, momentarily paralyzed by what he saw in front of him. During his time on the force, he had encountered several dead bodies: old people who’d died peacefully in their homes, drug addicts with needles sticking out of their arms, even a battered wife who’d hanged herself in front of her young children. But nothing could have prepared him for this.
Sprawled across the floor was the lifeless body of Adrian Heath, surrounded by a pool of blood. Only moments before he’d been looking forward to starting a new life with his girlfriend in Rio. Adrian’s throat had been cut in one clean movement by someone who knew what he was doing, and his right eye had been gouged from its socket and left by the body as a warning to any other dealer who might even think about becoming an informer.
“Don’t move!” shouted a voice from behind him.