STORM
Knowing the embassy will never admit access to his team, Storm calls his one hope, Beatrice Grictor.
She answers within a couple of rings. “Agent Storm,” she says in her familiar soft voice. “Is everything all right?”
“Are you able to talk freely?”
“Just give me a moment,” she says. He can hear her heels clicking on the flooring underfoot as she hurries to find a more private spot. “I can speak now.”
“Beatrice, I could do with your help. We think one of our suspects is hiding out at the embassy. We need him for questioning.”
“And you want me to seek the ambassador’s help to get him out?” she says.
“Something like that.”
“May I ask who it is?”
“Kris Caprio. You mentioned that he is one of the patients at your practice. Raif Silverstone was his doctor.”
“I see.” There’s already a tone in her voice which tells him that the answer is no. “I’m afraid I can’t confirm whether Mr Caprio is here or not, and I don’t think I can persuade the ambassador to help in this matter.”
“Because Caprio’s father has many business ties to Otherworld?” Storm asks.
“I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do. Unless…” She hesitates.
“I’m willing to consider any idea.”
“You really think Kris Caprio was involved?”
“We need to question him, Beatrice. Urgently.”
“I see. I shouldn’t really do this, but if he has anything to do with what happened with Raif, I don’t think I could live with myself. I have a couple of spare tickets to the ball that the ambassador donated to my charity. Perhaps you want to make use of them?”
“Thank you, Beatrice. I owe you one.”
She gives a gentle laugh. “You can take me to dinner some time. You’re an interesting man, Mr Storm.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“But please,” she adds. “You understand that I’m expecting your team to avoid any fuss inside the embassy itself? Tonight’s a big night for the ambassador. You’ll have to do your best to persuade Mr Caprio to leave the embassy of his own free will.”
“Of course,” Storm says. “You have my assurance. We will make sure to behave as guests at all times inside the embassy.”
He hangs up the phone and calls Remi, telling her and Monroe to head back to meet him and Leo at the office.
“So what are you thinking?” says Leo. “You and I head in there and persuade him it’s in his best interests to come with us?” Leo gives a sarcastic grin, fully aware that this is highly unlikely to work. Especially if his intent is to escape into Otherworld via the embassy’s portal, if he hasn’t done already.
“I bet he’s still in there,” says Storm. “He didn’t strike me as the type to miss a good party. He’ll want one last chance to live it up with his friends before he goes into hiding.”
He and Leo drive back in their separate cars. They arrive to find Remi and Monroe already waiting in Storm’s office.
“What’s the plan?” says Remi eagerly. “Honey trap right? Me and Monroe head into there, and I’ll lure him out?”
Monroe looks confused. “But he knows what you look like. You’ve questioned him, right?”
“Yeah, he knows what I look like,” she says. “But he doesn’t know what I’ll look like tonight.”
“Are you sure you can pull it off?” says Storm. “All the magic inside the embassy tonight will interfere with a glamour. Y