by Mark Ayre
In the distance, Abbie saw Christine's block. Another minute and they'd be parking, making their way up to where their new prisoner was now held. Hopefully.
“That explains how you knew the heist was a diversion,” Ndidi said, his tone suggesting he begrudged even this small concession. “It doesn’t reveal how you knew Orion’s real intentions, who was in the boot of my car, or how you knew she was with me at all.”
“All simple to explain but to take the latter point first, I suspected you were involved beyond getting the police into place for the heist. Orion risked a lot kidnapping your daughter and murdering her poor au pair. He’d want his money’s worth.”
Ndidi closed his eyes. His face twisted with annoyance.
“I don’t mean to make light,” said Abbie. “But I need to be clear about why I acted the way I did. I suspected you still had a part to play, so when I visited you earlier—“
“Broke in and threatened me with a gun,” Ndidi said.
“That’s the occasion. And while we were chatting, my ally was planting a tracker in your car.”
That was actually the second tracker they’d placed, the first before Ndidi returned home. After seeing Ndidi’s anger at the news of the car tracker, Abbie decided not to mention the other. Ignoring his burst of frustration, she carried on.
“We followed your progress on a screen earlier,” said Abbie. “Saw you stop in the abandoned lot and wait. That’s when you met the second car, and the woman got into your boot, right?”
While Ndidi tried to overcome his anger and decide whether to answer, Abbie made the final turn. She slowed as she drove towards the entrance to the flat's grounds, prolonging their alone time.
“That’s right,” said Ndidi.
“But you have no idea who the woman was or where she came from?”
Ndidi’s head snapped towards Abbie. “How could I have?”
Again ignoring Ndidi’s ire, Abbie said, “I want to make it clear, we uncovered Orion’s plan before it was complete. With a single phone call, we could have prevented it. No woman would have got into your boot, and Orion, in his fury, would probably have murdered your daughter without delay.” Abbie raised a hand to Ndidi’s horror-stricken face. “I say that not to upset you, but so you understand we’re on your side. We let Orion’s plan go ahead, despite how dangerous that is, because saving Isabella is our priority, as it is yours."
Abbie pulled into the car park and slid into a space. She turned off the engine and twisted to face Ndidi.
“I still don’t get it,” said Ndidi. “What was this plan? Who was this woman?”
“Your superiors didn’t mention anything when they visited?”
“No. I could tell they were keeping something from me, but they weren’t there as colleagues. They were the police. I was the frightened father. That’s how it should be.”
“Quite right,” said Abbie. “Well, I was sure I knew who the woman was but received confirmation only when we arrived at your house, a few minutes after you returned tonight. Like I said earlier, we opened the boot, verified my suspicions, and stole away your stowaway.”
“Who was she?”
Ndidi was losing his cool. His hands were stiff but shaking his lap. It looked as if, if he tried to curl his fingers, they’d snap.
“I told you already I compiled a file on the Becker’s. It’s comprehensive, and I’ve read through it plenty of times, hence my surprise that I didn’t realise the truth sooner. The file covers everything from where Orion and his siblings were born to the graveyard where Margaret, her husband, and her youngest son are buried. It certainly has the name of the prison in which Rachel Becker is serving a life sentence.”
Looking up at the flats, Abbie let out a low whistle.
"Sorry, I've made a mess of my tenses. I should say I know the name of the prison where Rachel Becker was serving a life sentence. Until tonight. Until you helped her escape."
Thirty-One
As it earlier had for Abbie, everything clicked into place in an instant for Ndidi, the moment he knew he was dealing with a prison break.
Breaking out of prison is incredibly difficult, but with hours of planning and almost unlimited cash reserves, Orion was assured of finding a way to release his sister from her cell eventually. He may have spent every day since learning in which prison Rachel would serve her sentence devising his plan, but he never would have lost faith. He knew he’d get there in the end, as he knew, despite how difficult it would be, breaking Rachel out of prison would be the easy bit.
The justice system, the prison system, the police. They all hate prison breaks. It looks far worse having someone running around committing crimes if that person has already been convicted and should be behind bars. Orion would have known the alert would be raised the moment someone noticed Rachel’s escape. Police would be mobilised. In almost no time, they would form a net around the prison's local area, making escape nearly impossible.
The heist would slow this down. Orion’s diversion ensured the local policing area was not best placed to react to the prison breach. Compound this with the fact that no one noticed Rachel’s escape until ten minutes after she had jumped into the getaway vehicle, and the elder Becker had bought himself a little time.
But not enough.
Rachel, and the getaway driver with whom she escaped, could not hope to outrun the police for even a few hours. So what was the alternative?
Enter Orion’s genius idea.
“They had just enough time to reach me,” Ndidi muttered as Abbie all but pulled him from the car. “Then, the getaway driver sped off, and I was left with a convict in my boot.”
“Right,” said Abbie, directing Orion towards the flats. “The getaway driver will soon be caught, but he won’t say anything. Meanwhile, you drive the convict home. There’s almost no chance the police will pull you over. Even if they do, they won’t search your boot. You become the perfect mode of escape.”
“I can’t believe it,” Ndidi said. “She’s a killer, you said?”
“She’s a vile human being, just like her brother,” said Abbie. “But you can’t think of her as a convicted murderer now. You can’t think of her as a monster or a criminal or anything like that.”
They had stopped by the building’s front doors. Ndidi turned to Abbie.
“So what should I think of her as?”
“Leverage.”
By the time Abbie and Ndidi reached Christine’s door, the Detective was out of his daze. Once more, his eyes burned with anger and determination. This look was only shaken by Christine’s appearance.
“This is one of your allies?” he asked, talking to Abbie but looking at Christine. “I should have known Miss Lakes would be involved. I’d have guessed if you mentioned you had a cop on your side. If you can call her that.”
“You can call me that,” said Christine through gritted teeth. “In fact, I think you’ll find it’s Detective, not Miss Lakes. You can call me that until I decide you can call me Christine. If I ever make that decision.”
Ndidi showed no signs of backing down. He glared at the junior Detective from the hall.
“I’m trying to help you,” Christine continued. “And seeing as this is my house, you might try showing me some respect.”
"Call this a house, do you?" Ndidi said, leaning forward, peering through the door.
"Enough," snapped Abbie. She grabbed Ndidi’s shirt and pushed him back from the door. “You’ve had a shock, so I’ll let this attitude problem go for now. Especially as your wife trusted Leilani. With good reason.”
Ndidi’s eyes widened.
“Yes,” said Abbie. “I know all about that. I know about everything.”
Ndidi met Abbie’s eye. For a moment, it seemed he was going to argue, then he forced himself to nod, and he looked at Christine. “Thank you for your hospitality, Detective Lakes.”
This was said with some sarcasm, but Christine accepted it and stood back to allow the duo in.
"Whe
re's our friend?" said Abbie.
Christine held Ndidi's eyes for a few more seconds, then looked back to Abbie. She nodded to the bedroom door.
"Secure?" asked Abbie.
“Cuffed to the radiator," said Christine. "Bound and gagged. She's not going anywhere."
"And those handcuffs, binds and gags," said Abbie. "They were here for business or pleasure purposes? Before today I mean. I just like to get the measure of the people with whom I'm working."
Christine glared, then shoved Abbie towards the living room.
Ana was on the sofa but stood when Abbie and Ndidi entered. She gave Abbie a curt nod then went to the Detective.
"Ariana Rayner," she said, holding out a hand. "I'm sorry about your daughter. You must be worried sick."
Ndidi had never met Ana but, to him, she could only be another enemy. He didn't take her hand. His look was contemptuous. The look a man gave before spitting on someone, although Abbie didn't think Ndidi would lower himself quite that far.
"What would you know about my worry?"
Ana dropped her hand but not her gaze.
"Well, I don't have a daughter, and no one I love has ever been kidnapped," she said. "But my father drowned when I was a kid, and I'm only a couple of months removed from losing my teenage sister to murder." She paused, let that sink in. "So I know a little about loss."
Ndidi looked ashamed, but it seemed he had no response. Then, perhaps when Ana's gaze became too much, he raised his hand as she had hers. Ana didn't hesitate to shake.
"Idrissa Ndidi," he said. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Good news for you, Detective," said Abbie. "Your daughter isn't lost, only misplaced, and as I mentioned, we have a little leverage here."
"How much?" said Ndidi. "You can't tell me Orion cares for his sister as much as I love my daughter. It's no contest. He's a criminal, a murderer, an animal."
"He is all these three things," agreed Abbie, "though none of that is relevant. I have seen the most heartless mass murderers surrender their lives to save a loved one. Orion may not have put his life on the line, but he has risked his freedom and his wealth to free his sister from incarceration. Does he love Rachel as much as you love Isabella? I doubt it, but he loves her a great deal, and we can make use of that connection."
"I can make use of that connection," said Ndidi. "I have his loved one, and he has mine. It wasn't clear what he was proposing before. Now it's obvious he wishes to trade his sister for my daughter, and that’s a trade I’ll make without hesitation."
"There will be no trade," said Abbie.
"Because you'll stop me?" At this, Ndidi laughed. "I'd like to see you try."
"I'm not talking about me. Nor Christine or Ana."
Ndidi looked from one woman to the next. The four of them were standing in the living room. Only Ana looked as though she would rather be sitting.
"You mean Orion?"
"I do."
"Because he'll kill my daughter then me as soon as he has what he wants."
Abbie nodded.
"So says you. Yet I have no more reason to trust you than Orion. Not really. And at least he’s set out a path for me to bring my daughter home safely. What have you offered?"
"Well, I don't know about offers, but I haven't kidnapped your daughter. You'd think that might bank me a few points in the old trustworthiness column over Becker."
"Which is the same as saying you have nothing,” said Ndidi. "No plan to help return to me my daughter. You have nothing to offer but goodwill, is that it?"
Ndidi and Abbie were facing each other. Christine and Ana were looking from one to the other, unsure which way this would go.
"We have Rachel," said Abbie.
"For now."
"You think you can take her from us?"
"For my daughter, I could do anything. If I set my mind to walking out of here with Rachel Becker, do you believe you could stop me?"
"I believe," said Abbie, "that if you walk out of here with Rachel, you will die. So will Isabella, while Rachel and Orion Becker will disappeared into the sunset. That outcome is intolerable. Therefore, if you try to take Rachel, I'll have no choice but to stop you. Possibly, we'll have to restrain you, and I'll need to make the best of a crap situation in terms of securing Isabella's safety. But I will. To answer your question, I believe I can stop you. I know I can stop you. As you will fast find out if you go against me."
Ndidi's hands were clenched into fists by his side. He looked to Christine again, then to Ana, but his gaze came back to Abbie. His eyes burned like fire.
"What if I walk out of here? I can leave Rachel but call Orion and tell him what you did. He already sent someone to kill you once, didn't he? He'll send people again. He'll overwhelm you next time, don't you think?"
“If he has the numbers, which I doubt,” said Abbie, “he'll come in force to reclaim his sister and kill meddlesome me. But he'll murder Isabella first, which is why you won't do it."
Ndidi's jaw trembled. There was no way he would leave the flat and risk his daughter's life. If he did, Abbie wasn't sure what she would do. Ndidi had no information for her, but Abbie needed him to find Becker and Isabella.
"I'm Isabella's father," said Ndidi at last. The anger was like storm clouds, and now they were breaking, releasing the rain of misery rather than the storm of fury. “I’ve lost my wife. I have to live with having failed her, but I cannot fail Isabella. She’s my world but also my responsibility. Please, I'm begging you, don’t stand in my way. Let me proceed in the way I believe is right."
Again he looked around the room, and this time his gaze lingered on Christine and Ana, perhaps believing they were more likely to give in than was Abbie. Maybe that was true, but it wouldn't matter. Abbie was taking control of this situation. Neither Ana nor Christine nor both combined could convince her to change her mind.
"I'm sorry," said Abbie. "But your feelings aren't my priority. Isabella is, and while you may not trust or believe me, I can assure you I've been saving lives a long time, and I seldom fail. I'll give everything to save Isabella, but that means doing this the way I believe is right because that's the only way I know how."
Now Ana and Christine were looking at the floor. They couldn't meet the gaze of Ndidi because they empathised with his position. They couldn't meet Abbie's eye because they were unsure she was doing the right thing.
If they thought Abbie was sure, they were wrong. Guilt and indecision seemed to mingle with her blood and flow through her veins. Ndidi was Isabella's father, so what right did Abbie have to take control of any efforts to save the child?
Self-loathing crept in. All Abbie could say to soothe herself was that she believed she derived some right from whatever force had sent to her the dream that forewarned of the grave situation Isabella faced. Because of that, she couldn't give up control. Wouldn't. If she had to hate herself to get the job done, so be it.
The die was already cast.
"I know this is difficult, and I know you hate me," said Abbie, "but for now, having Rachel here makes no difference to having her at your place. Orion's only told you what you need to know, so, as of now, I guess you have no idea where you'll be expected to take Rachel or when. You're awaiting his next call with further instructions. Is that right?"
For a while, Ndidi didn't answer. But silence wouldn't get him any closer to achieving his aims, so, in the end, he gave a single curt nod.
"Okay," said Abbie, nodding back. "Then here’s what I suggest."
As she spoke, she turned and walked through to the kitchen. She withdrew a new glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. After taking a couple of swigs, she tilted the cup towards the living room.
"Drink, anyone?"
Ana glanced at Christine, who was looking at her feet. Abbie reached into the cupboard and withdrew three more tall glasses.
"We should keep clear heads," she said, sensing Christine was trying to be strong and that Ana didn't want to give her an excuse to be weak. "Water?
Water?"
She looked at Christine, then Ana as she asked the questions. Both gave rueful nods.
Abbie filled two more glasses, and brought them to the living room, handed them to the two women. She returned to the kitchen, took another swig of her own water, and raised the final empty glass towards Ndidi.
"Come on then, Detective, what's it going to be? Water okay?"
"I'm expecting a suggestion," growled Ndidi. "So why don't you stop messing around with glasses and tell me what you were going to say."
Abbie considered, then placed the glass on the side and nodded.
"Fair enough, the suggestion is this: we four, plus our guest, hole up here until Orion calls you with further instructions. When he does, I’ll tell you how I plan to save your daughter, based on what he's said. If I can convince you, great, we go ahead. If I can't, you take Rachel and walk away. You follow Orion's plan and trust he's a man of his word. I won't want to let you do that, but at least I’ll know you're walking away having properly weighed up your options."
From the counter, Abbie collected the glass again and again tipped it towards Ndidi.
"What do you say, Detective?"
From the living room, Ndidi stared at Abbie and tried to make his decision. She knew he was playing everything she'd said over in his mind and trying to decide if Abbie could be trusted.
She couldn't. Her words were meaningless because whatever Ndidi decided after Orion called, Abbie wasn't giving up control of this operation. But that was okay. Hopefully, she could convince him to involve her by then. If she couldn't... well, they'd cross that bridge when they reached it.
