Suspicious (On the Run)

by Rosett, Sara

  “And I thought you’d be up for a good hike.”

  “Not in the snow.”

  She reached for the map, but Jack unhesitatingly made another turn that brought them out on the same street they’d just driven into town, but now they were cruising in the opposite direction, making good time on the open road. The other side of the street, the road going into town, was clogged. Trust Jack to have already assessed the situation and know their exit strategies.

  They cleared the edge of Garmisch and followed the swooping curves of the road as it mirrored the river. The accident scene came up quickly. The ambulance was parked on the side of the road, lights still flashing. They were by it in seconds, and Zoe only had an impression of people moving through the trees. Jack said, “I’d rather not have come back this way, but this is the fastest way out of the valley.” As he drove, his gaze swept along the road. “I don’t see any speed cameras here.”

  Zoe opened the map. “So no record of us going in or out of Garmisch.”

  Harrington had been peering through the back window at the diminishing lights of the ambulance. As he turned back to the front, Zoe saw that he had the abstracted manner of someone working out a complex problem. His gaze fell on the map. “May I see that?”

  “Of course.”

  Jack asked, “So what do you think? Find some cheap, off the beaten path gästehaus for the night?”

  “No.” The map crinkled as Harrington shoved it into the front seat. “Ischgl. We have go to Ischgl. Tonight.”

  ***

  Gemma studied the abandoned car with its headlight buried in a tree trunk and compressed hood. Behind her, occasional traffic swished by on the road. Alessi huddled with Gustav, his contact in the German police force. On their flight to Innsbruck, Gemma had asked how the German police would react to their arrival. Alessi had flicked his hand, as if her worries amounted to nothing. “I helped Gustav with a missing altarpiece last year. He owes me.”

  Alessi said it as if that would solve any problems that came up. It probably would for Alessi, but she wasn’t sure the welcome would stretch to her. She had waited until they were through security to text Nigel with the news she was traveling to Germany. Not that he’d have an issue with it. At least, she didn’t think he would. It would be the higher-ups who might fuss.

  But she’d learned one thing in her time with the Art Squad—it was best to get the ball rolling and then inform the people up-chain after the fact. Harder to stop things, that way. Nigel would understand completely. Heck, he was the one who’d taught her the technique. She knew if they succeeded in finding the Flawless Set, and either evidence of who stole the gems in the country house robberies or—even better—apprehended the criminals themselves along with the gems, no one would care about her unauthorized foray into another European country.

  Of course, both those possibilities looked remote now. They had gone straight from the airport to Garmisch and toured Throckmorton’s hotel room, which had contained nothing more exciting than a shaving kit and a run-of-the-mill suitcase. No hidden gems anywhere and no sign of his accomplices, Jack and Zoe Andrews.

  Gustav had run their names through their databases and turned up nothing. No hotel or rental car reservations, and when Alessi checked back with his people in Rome, he was informed the Andrews’ hotel room was still empty. Gustav had requested footage from the Zugspitze, but it wasn’t in yet, so they couldn’t even be sure Throckmorton had gone to the peak today. The ticket purchase could have been a distraction.

  Alessi slapped his friend on the shoulder then came across the snow to her. He wore a fur-lined hat with earflaps, a heavy wool coat, boots, and gloves. A wool scarf was wrapped around the lower half of his face, covering his mouth and nose. “This weather—it is inhumane, is it not? So cold. I do not see how Gustav endures it.” He stamped his booted feet and rubbed his gloved hands together before continuing. “It is the car that Throckmorton rented in Rome.”

  “Well, that’s something, at least,” Gemma said. “Did you notice the snow?”

  Alessi shook his head. “No, there had already been too much activity for prints. The emergency crews and local police.”

  “But why would they go deeper into the woods?” Gemma pointed to several sets of prints that trailed away from the sight of the impact into the woods. “Looks like more than one person went that way, then doubled back.”

  “You think, perhaps three?”

  “It’s possible, isn’t it?” Gemma said, squinting at the pine branches against the now dark sky as she tried different scenarios. “Perhaps the Andrews couple ambushed Throckmorton.”

  “You are thinking there was a falling out among the thieves? They ran him off the road and took the Flawless Set.”

  Gemma shrugged, uncomfortable. She’d rather deal with facts, but they were in short supply right now. “But then where is Throckmorton?” Gemma asked, acknowledging the major question her speculations raised. “He couldn’t walk back to town without someone seeing him, surely? It’s too far isn’t?”

  “Yes. And there are no homes or businesses here.”

  “The river…?”

  Alessi raised a shoulder in a shrug that conveyed both possibility and doubt. “Gustav’s men will check tomorrow during the daylight. Gustav has arranged hotel rooms for us in Garmisch for tonight. Then we can return to Roma.” He used the Italian word for the city and said it with relish as if he wished he were already there.

  Alessi had made it quite clear that any other location, even the stunningly beautiful German Alps were inferior to Italy in general and Rome in particular.

  Alessi pointed out the trail of footprints to Gustav, who sent someone to photograph them. Then Gemma and Alessi turned and walked back through the snow to the cars with flashing lights along the side of the road. She’d already examined the interior of the crushed car and circled around the scene. There was nothing else to do except go back to the hotel room and go over her notes again.

  And call Nigel with an update.

  She burrowed her fists deeper in her pockets. No need to rush that call, she decided. It would be best to do a review, a thorough review, of all her notes before she called him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Tonight?” Jack said. “I thought you were meeting McKinley tomorrow night.”

  “Yes, but he made a comment today as we were parting that I just worked out.” Harrington handed Zoe the map and stabbed at it. “After we go through Lermoos, we want this road here. It will take us to the A12.” He checked his watch. “We should be there in an hour and a half or so.”

  “Why the rush?” Jack asked, but he’d pressed the accelerator down, and they sped along the valley floor, circling along the low foothills that skirted the Zugspitze, toward the wide valley on the Austrian side of the mountain.

  Harrington hovered between the front and back seats, the lights from the dashboard accentuating the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, creating deeper hollows and crevasses. He looked older and more worn than Zoe had ever seen him, and she wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light or if the strain was getting to him. He said, “This afternoon before we parted, McKinley said he was going to do another run down the mountain, and then he was leaving because he had to be in Ischgl tonight.”

  “To cover the charity ski tournament this week,” Zoe said. “Maybe he has to check in tonight.”

  “Yes, but the important part is that he said, ‘By tomorrow evening, I’ll have more ice. Really flawless stuff.’ ” Harrington shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the map as he seemed to be reliving the moment. “I thought it was the typical salesman’s pitch—you know, buy more from me. At the time, I discounted it, but now that I know the Flawless Set has been stolen.” He frowned. “McKinley had put a little more emphasis on that word flawless. I think he was telling me that he would have the Flawless Set. I could be wrong, but…”

  “By tomorrow?” Zoe asked. “Were those his exact words?”

  “Yes.”
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  “So he doesn’t have it now, but he will have it tomorrow. Someone could be bringing the Flawless Set to him either tonight or tomorrow,” Zoe said.

  “It’s thin,” Jack said.

  “I know,” Harrington replied.

  “But if there’s the slightest chance…” Zoe said. “We have to try to find McKinley. We can shadow him, like we were doing to you, Harrington.” She threw him a contrite glance.

  “No need to apologize.”

  “Which way?” Jack asked. They’d traveled through the Lermoos valley, passed the curved church tower and the stucco buildings with their murals and snow covered roofs.

  “Left at the fork,” Zoe said, and it wasn’t long before they merged onto the Autobahn.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t make that connection earlier.” Harrington had leaned back, and his face was now in shadow. Zoe could tell he was irritated with himself.

  “Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Zoe said. “At the time, you didn’t know the Flawless Set had been stolen.”

  “And when we told you, you’d just plowed into a tree trunk,” Jack added. “It’s no wonder you didn’t make the connection right away. You were in shock.”

  “Still no excuse. We lost valuable time going back to the hotel.”

  “Where we discovered that the police are a lot closer than we thought,” Zoe said.

  “That’s good info. We can use that,” Jack said, countering Zoe’s gloomy tone.

  “Seems like straightforward bad news to me,” Zoe said. “How can it be useful?”

  “Well, if the police are on our trail, we can lead them right to McKinley.”

  “Let them think they’re catching us, but in reality, they’ll be catching McKinley,” Zoe said slowly.

  “He will have the rest of the jewels from the Rowan House robbery the next time we meet,” Harrington said. “That was our agreement. The peacock brooch today—the ruby and diamond bracelet and the pink diamond ring tomorrow.”

  “Even better if we can somehow lead them to McKinley and whoever is handing over the Flawless Set. If they’re meeting, that should be possible.”

  “That’s a lot of ifs,” Harrington said. “I don’t like it.”

  “You’re an insurance man. Risk averse,” Jack said with a flicker of a smile. “I don’t see we’ve got any other choice.”

  “Unfortunately, I agree,” Harrington said. “There is one way to draw the police to McKinley at exactly the right moment. If I contact the police and tell them I’m willing to turn myself in, I’m sure they would be interested. If I coordinate so that they pick me up when I’m with McKinley that should insure that McKinley would be taken into custody as well.” There were a few seconds of silence in the car. Zoe didn’t like the images flashing through her mind—Harrington in handcuffs, accusations, criminal charges.

  “It might take a while, but everything would be sorted out. I’d be cleared…eventually.”

  “Now that is a risky proposition,” Jack said.

  Zoe said. “Surely there’s another way?”

  “I’m not extremely enthusiastic about it, myself,” Harrington said, but his expression was determined.

  “If we can’t find another way, we have to make sure that McKinley and his… accomplice are in possession of the jewels when the police show up, not us.” Zoe said. “If we can find out who has been feeding McKinley the jewels, then I’m sure the police will be able to find some evidence of the thefts. Our problem is that they didn’t seem to want to look beyond us for suspects. Do you still think Ms. Davray and Carlo are the best suspects?”

  “There is no one else,” Harrington said with a shake of his head. “No one else in the company had access to the information that was used to commit the earlier robberies.”

  “No one?” Jack pressed. “A temporary employee? A consultant?”

  “No, we haven’t had a consultant in the London office, and we don’t use temps—that’s one of Mr. Millbank’s directives. Has to do with security. We use a hiring firm when we have an opening. They screen the applicants and send out several qualified candidates, then we make the choice from there.”

  “What about former employees? Any sudden resignations or transfers?”

  Harrington stared out the window, studying the banks of snow that were dimly visible in the moonlight. “No, no one like that either.”

  “What about new employees?” Jack asked.

  Harrington didn’t need even a moment to consider that question and replied instantly. “No, no one of that level has been hired recently. It’s a small group of people—Mrs. Davray, Carlo, and me—with access to the sensitive documents.”

  Zoe turned slowly to the backseat, working through a thought that had struck her. “What about a new low-level employee who works for someone high-level?”

  Harrington stared at her a moment. “You don’t mean—”

  “If you want to know what’s going on in a business, ask the boss’s secretary or assistant, right?”

  He collapsed back against the seat. “It is possible…yes, it is very possible.”

  Jack looked away from the road to Zoe. “The assistant? The flustered one?”

  Zoe said, “She could have picked up all sorts of information working in your office. Does she have access to your computer? Your files?”

  “Of course. An assistant’s not much help, otherwise.”

  “So she could delete your email about your vacation, causing you to be the center of the speculation,” Jack said. “What about access to the sensitive information related to the thefts?”

  “She wouldn’t be authorized to view that information, but if she logged in as me, she’d have access. Yes, it fits. The first theft occurred after she came to work.”

  Zoe shifted in her seat, turning fully to the backseat as she described the moment when she returned Amy’s forgotten airline tickets to her in the taxi. “That expression, for half a second was so different from the usual confused awkwardness. That’s what bothered me,” Zoe said to Jack. “She looked suspicious and guarded, and…I don’t know how to describe it. Tough, I guess.”

  “That’s not how she looked at the exhibit’s opening night,” Jack said.

  “Not words I would use to describe her, either,” Harrington said. “Tentative. Anxious. Bit ham-fisted, too. Always dropping things—that’s how she presented herself at the office.”

  “So she would have known about the plaque?” Zoe asked.

  “I had her place the order,” Harrington said. “She could have ordered a second one and had it modified to hold the jewels.”

  Silence descended for a few moments, and Zoe almost felt Harrington adjusting to this new perspective.

  “My God! If she did it, she had me completely fooled. I wonder if that nervous clumsiness was an act. I felt sorry for her and went easy on her,” he said, his tone outraged. “When I checked alibis, she said she was visiting her mum in East Anglia, and I took her word for it. I should have checked myself.”

  Harrington massaged his forehead. “Incredibly foolish on my part. Not only did I overlook a prime suspect because of her rank in the company, I made extra allowances for her because she seemed so inept.”

  “An act I’m sure she cultivated to gain your sympathy,” Zoe said

  “We don’t have any proof it was her,” Jack said. “There is still the possibility it was Melissa Davray or Carlo Goccetto.”

  “Yes,” Harrington agreed faintly, but he sounded doubtful. After a moment, with his gaze on the window, he said, “I’d better jettison that brooch as soon as we’re in Ischgl.”

  “You’re not going to…throw it away, are you?” Zoe asked.

  “No, I was thinking of mailing it to the board of directors at the London office. Anonymously, of course. It will take a few days to arrive, and by then, we’ll hopefully have things sorted out on this end.”

  Zoe said, “When you use that fatalistic tone, it sounds as if you think the opposite will happen.”


  “I’m afraid the odds of everything working out well for us are extremely low,” Harrington said.

  “There you go again with the odds and the risk,” Jack said.

  “Can’t help it, I’m afraid.”

  Zoe smiled at him over the seat. “Occupational hazard?”

  Harrington smiled back. “Undeniably.”

  “Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, with either worry or our plans,” Jack said. “First, we have to find McKinley.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think that will be too hard,” Zoe said.

  ***

  There was no mistaking the town of Ischgl. Unlike the other alpine towns they’d passed through, which were winding down for the night with quiet streets, lights blazed from Ischgl, cutting through the night. Nestled in a valley, it glowed and sparkled like a string of diamonds. Portions of the mountain were lit for night skiing and tobogganing, while the downtown area was busy with pedestrians. As they cruised through the streets, Jack said, “Not exactly a sleepy alpine village, is it?”

  The buildings had the typical Alpine architecture—heavy wooden balconies and white stucco exteriors with murals aplenty, but there was an unmistakable tinge of glitz and glamor layered heavily on top of the mountain charm.

  “No,” Zoe said, “none of the other villages we’ve seen had high-end jewelry stores or quite so many bars.”

  “I believe it is known as a party town,” Harrington said.

  “Yep, the Kardashians would be right at home here,” Zoe said.

  They found a hostel on the outskirts of Ischgl that accepted cash from Harrington—he insisted on paying, saying he had plenty of cash. Jack had fought him on it, but Harrington had the last word. “I’m the one who dragged you into this, the least I can do is cover our lodging.”

  Their room had two sets of bunk beds, a pine armoire, and a sink. The bathroom was down the hall.

  “Not exactly the Savoy, but no bed bugs,” Harrington said as he examined the puffy duvet and pillow.

  “We’re lucky to get it,” Jack said. “The desk clerk said almost every hotel room is sold out for the ski tournament.”