by Lj McEvoy
Jean-Pierre pulled her back and hugged her tightly, ‘Now you believe me when I say young lady, they’ll never get those letters.’
‘Jean-Pierre, I can’t guarantee this’ll work.’
‘Go, I have faith. I know my son is innocent and I know you will achieve in bringing him back to his family. You did it once before when we thought we had lost him. Now go, you will exorcise all the demons with this trip if I know you Lauren.’
Lauren froze, ‘how could he know what I’m about to do, he just couldn’t.’
Chapter 42
Ireland – ‘Is that comfortable?’ Marc was placing the wire on Lauren. She didn’t respond, concentrating on the task ahead of her. ‘Lauren, is that okay?’ he repeated.
‘What? Oh yeah it’s fine,’ she was standing in her bra and pants, inside her stomach churned as she remembered the conversation between herself and Patricia.
Marc finished placing the wire along the strap of her bra he smiled trying to reassure her, ‘you know if I wasn’t…’
‘Yeah, yeah,’ she interrupted him returning his smile, ‘shh, I’ll tell Paul on you,’ she whispered.
‘Well it’s true!’ he laughed, ‘we have similar tastes.’
Lauren giggled, ‘you mean you and I do and only in the men we love.’
As she redressed she was amazed how calm she was now becoming. Dec. Sgt. O’Reilly then entered the room, having already expressed his appreciation to her privately he was now acting his authoritative role, ‘Is everything finished here, Detective?’
Marc winked at Lauren, eyed her up and down in admiration responding, ‘Oh yeah, everything’s perfect here.’
O’Reilly went through everything with Lauren once more. She took his hand and squeezed it staring straight into his eyes, ‘I know what has to be done,’ and walked out of the room. O’Reilly looked at Marc, ‘Will our Red Key be there do you think?’
‘Oh he’ll be there all right, Lauren made her mother promise. Lauren’s set the table for us when she gets what she wants from it, we can dive in and ravish the main course and dessert.’
O’Reilly gave a look of disbelief to his detective, ‘Where the hell to you get these phrases from?’ and walked away scratching his head.
Parking the hired car in the visitor’s area, Lauren checked her make-up and took a deep breath. Looking in the mirror, she admitted she needed a cigarette then remembered Marc was listening, ‘no, make that a cigar,’ as she re-applied her lipstick.
The young receptionist greeted Lauren with a wide, trained smile. Lauren informed her of her appointment with Patricia and the young girl continued smiling as she called the MD’s secretary to reception.
Lauren was left waiting for five minutes, again she approached the new receptionist, ‘I’m her daughter on a visit from France, I know where her office is,’ she lied. The young girl was uncertain if she should stop her from going upstairs but Lauren was halfway up when Patricia’s secretary started to descend.
‘Ah, Lauren there you are. Sorry for the delay but Patricia was on a call.’
‘Liar,’ Lauren said under her breath.
‘Sorry, did you say something?’ the secretary inquired as she opened the office door.
‘Nice new offices Patricia,’ Lauren greeted her mother and then stopped in her tracks. Her face dropped when she realised who was in the office with Patricia, ‘Declan?’ she barely uttered his name.
‘Jesus that’s her brother we got him! We got the bastard!’ Marc screamed to the others listening in the van hidden in the factory next door. O’Reilly told Marc to shut up; he wanted more a lot more.
Colombia – Fear now drenched the air in the cramped prison cell. Another crew member was taken away for questioning this time one of the English scriptwriters was singled out. Everybody knew the police guards were panicking, no confessions were coming forward despite their best efforts all they now had were a few grams of cocaine and two positive blood results, not the big haul the government were informing the newspapers about.
Jaqueline clung onto David, ‘I’m next,’ she screamed.
David returned her hug, reassuring her. Throughout the night he kept thinking of Lauren, what she would do or say in this type of crisis, knowing that she would find the strength to survive within herself not depending on others to lean on. It made him determined, ‘I’m going to survive this,’ he kept repeating to himself, ‘I’m going to get home.’ He amazed himself at how calm he felt, the heat in the cell was stifling and he was sweating but the earlier churning he felt in his stomach was now gone.
Xavier stormed into the office, his boss Alejandro turned to him, ‘we can’t get anyone to confess are you sure the informer is correct.’ The head of the police division, Alejandro hit the table, ‘What the hell is going on, Xavier!’
Both men stared at each other, unable to answer the question. Was the informant lying to them to cover up another operation, what should they do? It took a lot of official persuasion to get permission to raid the hotel and Alejandro pulled many strings to get the court order. This could hurt them and the government badly if they didn’t get any results.
‘Is it possible to find the informant again and take him in for questioning?’ Xavier asked his colleague.
‘If he’s still in the same hotel we traced the call to, yes. I’ll send my top two officers to get him immediately. Take in the two positive blood tests in for questioning next, perhaps we’ll get more from them, especially the woman.’
Xavier watched as Alejandro left the room, knowing full well the fool would not find his informant. It was he who placed the call, an old favour was called upon and Xavier needed to work fast if he still wanted his pension to stay intact. A police detective’s pension was not enough and through his past 15 years work within these walls, he planned and schemed and made his connections. Now he knew who his target was, he needed to ensure that the prisoner was shot as he was running away. A foiled escape would cover the inquiry.
Ireland – ‘Are you surprised my dear?’ Patricia was delighted Lauren was so dumbstruck.
Lauren restrained herself from the urge to answer her mother back and checked herself, ‘Declan, what on earth are you doing here?’
Her brother didn’t respond and nodded to Patricia, ‘We’re waiting for a call,’ she answered for him. Patricia didn’t show it but she was getting nervous the way Lauren was speaking. This was supposed to be acted out as a social visit, Lauren wasn’t to show any surprise at who might be in her office. As was Patricia’s nature she got straight to the point, ‘Where’s the file?’ Declan angrily turned to her and immediately she knew she shouldn’t have mentioned it aloud.
‘When will your call come through?’ Lauren quickly responded then turned on Declan, ‘Declan, did you kill Peter?’
Patricia gasped ‘what the hell was the bitch doing!’
Declan didn’t show any emotion, he just poured some tea and offered it to Lauren with a wry smile.
Lauren looked away with disgust, ‘you bastard!’
They sat there in silence for nearly fifteen minutes. Declan’s mobile started playing Bach’s fifth symphony, he answered it quickly and for the first time ever he spoke in Patricia’s office but only talking in short one worded Spanish. He hung up, looking at Lauren he said, ‘it’s over.’
Lauren was afraid to ask about David and stayed silent.
‘We’ve done what we promised but I don’t know what individuals are free. Mother told you we couldn’t guarantee his safety once he left the police station. Where’s the file Lauren?’ Declan was getting angry, he was revealing himself too much.
‘Did you kill Peter, Declan?’ Lauren repeated her earlier question as she stood up to leave.
He walked over to her and frisked her; he didn’t find anything, no wires giving him reassurance he finally had her where he always wanted her. Looking at her in the eyes he noticed she didn’t even flinch, ‘YES!’ he responded with venom.
Lauren hit him across the fac
e he just smiled holding his cheek. Taking three USB keys from her jacket pocket and threw them at Patricia, ‘Peter destroyed all the paperwork, but I got to scan everything before he did. It’s all there I hope you both rot in hell for this.’ Turning she walked out of the office vowing never to trust again.
Patricia turned to Declan, ‘Is he really free?’
‘I don’t have that much influence in the Columbian Police Force Mother. Like you Lauren doesn’t speak Spanish.’
Patricia eyed her son, ‘What have you done Declan?’
Declan smiled, it was a smile Patricia recoiled from, ‘Lauren will soon find out she’ll be attending yet another loved one’s funeral. My poor, poor sister.’
As Lauren drove away she looked in her rear-view mirror, Marc’s van and five police cars were already outside the premises they were entering with guns to the ready, ‘Christ that poor receptionist won’t know how to greet those visitors,’ Lauren whispered.
The plan was for her to meet up with Paul at the safe house, but Lauren opted for another route. She needed to do something first, an apology was in order, knowing there wouldn’t be time after she met with Paul she drove to the north side of Dublin and her home town of Glasnevin.
Marc burst through the door and couldn’t contain his excitement nearly dancing over to Paul he grabbed him by the shoulders and exclaimed, ‘We did it! Lauren did it! The look on the bastards faces when we barged through the office door! Paul, it was fantastic!’ looking around for Lauren he presumed she was busy changing her clothes or something. ‘Paul, I couldn’t believe it was actually happening, Declan Maguire even admitted to murdering Peter. Lauren got him to confess it, she was so cool! Where is she? Lauren!’ Marc approached the stairs, ‘Come down here, I wanna kiss ya!’
Paul tried to interrupt Marc as he was speaking but Marc ignored him then O’Reilly entered the house, ‘Calm down Detective. I know you two are friends but have a bit of respect for the Minister.’
When he got no response from the rooms upstairs Marc turned to Paul, his face becoming serious, ‘Where is she Paul?’
‘When she didn’t come back immediately I thought she was still with you,’ Paul’s heart sank.
Everybody immediately left the house O’Reilly went back to the station to question Declan. Marc and Paul got into another car with the others following. They tried to retrace her steps then a call came from O’Reilly, Marc stopped the car as O’Reilly spoke, Paul knew by his face it was bad news.
Hanging up Marc turned to Paul concern etched his face, ‘We’ve got to find her Paul. Have you any idea where she could have gone. Think Paul, think. The bastard has a hit man on both Lauren and David in Colombia!’
Paul was panicking, he couldn’t think straight. Her father’s in England on business so she wouldn’t go to him, ‘Debbie and Pat! Head for Glasnevin!’
As Marc radioed the others and the car screeched away, sirens blaring. Paul was on his cell phone immediately getting a direct line to the Colombian Ambassador. Having already given the Ambassador an update, no full details were required the conversation was to the point and ended as quickly as it started.
The three police cars met up at Hart’s Corner at the edge of Glasnevin, the traffic as usual was hectic and they opted for the cemetery route, as they passed Glasnevin cemetery Paul shouted to Marc to stop the car. Marc quickly pulled over and the two cars behind missed the stop but pulled in a little further on.
‘What is it?’ Marc couldn’t believe Paul was hesitating.
Paul turned to him, ‘Did you say Declan admitted to Lauren he killed Peter?’
‘Yeah so what, Paul we haven’t got much time what are you thinking?’
Paul got out of the car and pointed to the cemetery, ‘She’s in there,’ he said calmly.
Lauren was sitting on Peter’s family grave, laying flowers and apologising to him. Tears were streaming from her eyes at last she could now grieve for him, at last she allowed herself to cry for her own and the children’s loss. She had blamed him for everything and she was wrong, she apologised to him again and asked his forgiveness. ‘You’re not a coward, you’re not selfish I was wrong Peter, please forgive me. You tried to get out, you tried to prove your love to me and I hated you, I wronged you!’ putting her head in her hands. She didn’t notice or hear the man walking up to her from behind he was carrying a small bunch of flowers.
‘Lauren!’
She looked up, it was Marc he was maybe fifty feet away from her aiming his gun, but it wasn’t pointing at her. Everything was in slow motion as she turned to see where he was aiming, a sharp pain shot through her, she heard gunfire as she hit her head of the gravestone and everything went dark.
Paul carried Lauren to the car he was struggling with the tears starting to form in his eyes. Marc opened the back passenger car door and he quickly started the car, once they left the area of the cemetery he turned on his siren. Marc’s colleagues were quickly carrying the hit man’s body into their car they didn’t want the public to see what just happened - under no circumstance were these events or Lauren to be exposed.
Lauren opened her eyes trying to lift her arm she let out a groan.
Paul held her close, ‘we thought we’d lost you,’ his tears dropped onto her cheek and neck.
‘My head and arm hurt,’ she murmured.
He kissed her on the forehead, ‘we’ll get it sorted at the airport, a police doctor will be waiting but they’re just grazes it’s nothing to worry about.’
Lauren looked at the blood on her clothes and on Paul, ‘Just grazes huh!’ she closed her eyes again.
An hour later Paul and Marc watched from the private room as the ministerial jet lifted into the air. ‘Do you think she’d mind if we visited her on holiday,’ Marc asked Paul casually.
‘Knowing Lauren she’ll welcome us with open arms,’ Paul smiled, ‘when it’s better that is.’
‘I like your taste in women,’ Marc added, ‘very strong, very determined, she’s a woman who knows what she wants and I’d say 90% of the time gets it too!’
Paul looked at his lover and confessed, ‘we were virgins when we first met you know. With that special bond and Emma it’s why she’s so special to me.’
‘Oh, I know alright!’ Marc interrupted, ‘and she told me you weren’t when you split up. I think she was trying to make me jealous!’
‘Did it work?’ Paul asked.
They both looked at each other and laughed.
Chapter 43
Colombia – The prison cell door opened once more and everybody strained to see who would walk through, hope etched across each face that it would be an American official telling them they were free to go. But hope soon turned to disappointment when the silhouette was none other than the guard’s commander.
Xavier had two passports in his hand and showed them to the young guard, ‘I want them for questioning.’
Immediately the guard turned to David and Jacqueline and ordered them to get up. Xavier smiled this is going to be easy he knew David understood English as he saw David translate to the French woman yesterday.
David took Jacqueline by the arm and walked forward. Jacqueline resisted, ‘take it easy Jacqueline nobody has returned harmed, they only want to question us,’ David reassured her with a smile and she relaxed a little.
The sunshine blinded them both as they entered the courtyard Xavier walked beside David and spoke in English, ‘I have a message for you.’
David stopped and looked at the commander suspiciously.
‘Relax, it’s from your girlfriend, she has paid me very well. Do not look around and on my order I want you to run through that open gateway to your left.’
‘Why?’
‘She is waiting in a car on the other side, do not hesitate senor, I can only delay my guards for a few seconds.’
David looked toward the side gate - it was slightly ajar should he trust this man? Would Lauren be there, would she risk all and pay for his release? It seemed unbelie
vable but temptation arose in him.
‘Now!’ Xavier pretended to struggle then fell over.
But David hesitated, it seemed wrong, Jacqueline screamed and as David turned to her he saw a man running from another doorway pointing a gun. The guards were shouting, everything was in slow motion, David looked down to Xavier and saw the commander was now pointing a gun at him.
Two shots rang out, Jacqueline screamed again and fainted.
Chapter 44
‘He’ll be home tomorrow!’ Jean-Pierre greeted Lauren with a wide smile and hugged her. She grimaced with pain as he hugged; her arm was still unbelievably sore. Then Emma and Keith arrived out, screaming with excitement.
‘What happened to your head, Mammy?’ Keith asked.
Lauren had an excuse prepared, ‘it was raining while I was out jogging this morning and I slipped, hurt my arm too.’
Jean-Pierre grew concerned but knew by the look on her face not to ask.
Everybody was in the kitchen and greeted her with the same exciting news. Lauren was shocked when Pierre greeted her with a kiss but gladly accepted the peace offering. Under strict orders from Jean-Pierre, nobody enquired about why she had left for Ireland so suddenly and Lauren was grateful she didn’t have to lie, she felt exhausted from lack of sleep and fatigue was starting to win the battle. But she stayed for dinner and when everybody left she waited to talk to Jean-Pierre, she needed to talk to someone. Gabrielle got the hint from Jean-Pierre and brought the children into the sitting room to watch some television.
He left the room also saying he would be back in a moment, he arrived back with a first-aid box, ‘Take off your blouse,’ he stated.
Lauren looked surprisingly at him then followed his gaze to her arm, small specks of blood were showing through.
‘Oh shit how long has that been showing?’ she groaned.
‘About halfway through dinner, but everybody ignored it,’ he replied casually, ‘I told them you left on family business and that maybe you could help David.’ Lauren gasped.