The Blue Ring (36 page)

Having done his duty, he walked across the concourse to the Pit Stop snack bar and
ordered a cappuccino from his friend Jason.

He had just taken the first sip, when Jason said, "That girl staying with your
parents..."

"What
about her?" Joey said, immediately alert.

"Well,
she went to Malta early this morning."

Joey's
head snapped up. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm
sure it was her," Jason replied. "I was just opening up and saw her
walk past to catch the four o'clock ferry. She was carrying a bag. I probably
wouldn't have noticed, but she had your two Tal-Fenecks with her." He
laughed. "They wanted to go on the ferry with her and she had to shoo them
off. I watched them head back up the hill after the ferry left."

For a
moment Joey stood at the bar looking down at his cup, then he asked urgently,
"Are you sure it was her, Jason?"

The
young man nodded.

"I'm
sure, Joey. I only saw her once, but it was enough...The kind of girl you keep
in mind for three or four years later...She's going to be a beauty."

The
next moment Joey was heading through the open door and running for his
Land-Rover.

Laura
was up and bustling around the kitchen. She looked up, startled, as Joey ran
in.

"What
are you doing up so early?"

"Never
mind. Where's Juliet?"

"Fast
asleep. She wanted a lie-in this morning. Why?"

"I
was just down at the ferry," he gasped. "Jason at the Pit Stop told
me he saw her catch the four o'clock ferry. The dogs were with her."

"The
dogs are here," she said, puzzled.

"Yes,
of course. They came back after she'd gone...Let's look."

They
hurried up the outside steps to the guest wing. Laura tried the door. It was
locked. She banged on it and shouted, "Juliet!" several times. There
was no answer, and Joey elbowed her aside, squatted down and looked through the
keyhole.

"There's
no key," he said. "She must have locked it from the outside."
Paul came up the steps, his hair ruffled and his eyes sleepy.

"What
the hell's going on?"

Joey
explained while Laura ran down to the kitchen for the spare key.

The bed
was neatly made. There was a note on the bedside table. Laura picked it up and
read the words out loud. "'Please don't worry. I have been very happy
here with you but I feel so nervous about Creasy and Michael and so useless just waiting. Maybe there is
something I can do there. I know where they are and by the time you read this I
will be in Italy. I have some money and I will be able to take care of myself.
Love, Juliet'."

They
looked at each other, and Joey said, "Where on earth would she find
money?"

"Up
at the house," Laura snapped. "She was up there all day last Sunday.
Creasy kept a lot of money there in the wall-safe in his bedroom. He or Michael
must have shown her how to open it."

Paul
looked at his watch. It was seven-fifteen.

"She
must have been going for the seven o'clock flight to Rome," he said.
"Sometimes it's late. Maybe we can stop her."

They
all ran down to the kitchen and the ever practical Laura took charge. She
phoned George Zammit at home and got his wife, who informed her that he had
just left for police headquarters. Being a senior superintendent in an
increasingly modernised police force, Laura was talking to him within a minute
on his mobile phone. She was clear and concise. George simply told her to hang
up and wait. He would call her back.

The
three Schembris sat in the kitchen, looking at the phone. It rang two minutes
later. Yes, the immigration computer showed that one Juliet Creasy had caught
the Alitalia flight to Rome. It was scheduled for seven a.m. but had taken off
at seven-fourteen. Its ETA Rome was eight thirty-eight. Laura looked at her
watch. The plane would land in exactly one hour and three minutes.

"I
can call Rome," George said, "and have the police waiting for her and
put her back on the next flight."

Laura
thought for only a few seconds.

"No,"
she said. "Creasy's in Naples with Guido. I'll phone him now and see what
he wants to do. I'll get back to you in a few minutes."

Creasy
heard the phone ring as he was having breakfast. He heard Guido's faint voice
answering in the kitchen. A few moments later the voice rose.

"Creasy.
Get in here. It's Laura...An emergency!"

Creasy
listened to Laura's controlled words, then said, "Wait!" He cupped
the mouthpiece and rapidly explained the situation to Guido. They both glanced
at their watches.

"Just
about an hour," Guido said. "Add another twenty to thirty minutes for
immigration and customs. Are you going to have George Zammit phone his
counterpart in Rome?"

Creasy
shook his head. "No, let's keep the police out of this. The question is
whether she left for the reasons she mentioned in her note or whether there's
something else behind it."

"Like
what?"

Creasy
shrugged. "Who knows, maybe Bellu did talk under the influence of that
Valium. Maybe they've already targeted Gozo. Maybe that's what's behind it. My
people don't arrive in Gozo until this afternoon."

Guido
said sceptically, "But the information is that she walked onto the ferry
alone. It doesn't sound like a snatch."

"True,"
Creasy agreed. "But they could be waiting for her at Rome airport. She's
only a child. Maybe she was led into this somehow."

Guido
glanced at his watch again.

"Anyway,
Michael's in Rome with Rene, and Maxie and Frank arrived there last
night."

Creasy
also glanced at his watch.

"I
don't want to involve Michael. He's very close now, and I must do nothing to
compromise his cover. I'll send Maxie and Frank. Rene can cover them from the
background. What's Michael's number?"

Jens
was standing at the kitchen door. He had been listening to the last part of the
conversation. He plucked the number from his photographic brain and called it
out. Both men turned in surprise, and then Creasy was making the call.

Michael
was fast asleep, but he came awake in seconds. He listened quietly without
asking any questions, then he too looked at his watch and said, "I'll get
on to it. Rene is here, and Maxie and Frank will be at the hotel nearby. They
weren't due to meet Satta until eleven. I'll plan the operation and get back to
you."

She had
been too excited to eat the plastic breakfast from the plastic tray. The plane
was half-empty and she had a row of three seats to herself. She drank the good
coffee and a stewardess refilled her cup, sat on the edge of the seat and
chatted to her for a few minutes.

She
leaned across and pointed out of the window. It was a clear morning and Juliet
could see the green fields and the rising Appenine mountains.

"Have
you been to Rome before?" the stewardess asked.

"No,
it's my first time in Italy."

"Is
someone meeting you?"

"No,
I'm catching the twelve o'clock train to Naples. Is the railway station near
the airport?"

The
stewardess smiled.

"No,
it's at least an hour's drive into the city, but direct buses leave every half
hour from the airport, non-stop to the station...Or are you rich enough to take
a taxi?"

Juliet
smiled and shook her head.

"No,
I'll catch the bus."

The
stewardess stood up, brushing down her skirt. She said, "Then, after you
come out of customs turn left and go about a hundred metres. You'll see the
transport desk where you can buy a ticket. The bus waits just outside. Be
careful in Naples, young lady...it's a dangerous city."

Juliet
smiled again.

"Don't
worry. My father and brother are there."

Franco
Delors followed her through immigration and then through the green lane of
customs, saying a silent prayer that he would not be picked out for a spot
check. He had sat at the rear of the plane and was confident that she had not
noticed him, either during the flight, or in the arrivals hall.

They
both walked unchecked through customs and he slowed down and scanned the
waiting crowd. The girl had stopped. She was not looking for anyone in the
crowd, but was peering to her left.

Delors
spotted his man leaning against the Avis car hire counter. They exchanged looks
and Delors nodded at the girl. She had started moving, walking slowly down the
concourse. Delors felt a stab of elation at the realisation that there was no
one to meet her. He quickened his pace and came up alongside her. Her canvas
bag was slung over her right shoulder.

"Hello,"
he said cheerfully. "Didn't I see you on the plane from Malta?"

She
looked up at him.

"Yes,
I was on that flight...but I didn't see you."

He
smiled engagingly.

"I
was sitting at the back behind you. Are you staying in Rome?"

She
shook her head. "No, I'm going to the railway station. I'm just going to
catch the bus."

"Well,
I can save you some money," he said. "I'm also going to the railway
station. A friend is meeting me...he's over there. We're going by car and
there's plenty of room for you."

She
glanced at the man moving towards them. He was young, tall and dark-faced. His
eyes were fixed on her intently. They had reached the ticket counter when she
felt a sudden prickling of danger. Her mind went back over the weeks to the
last time a stranger had talked to her, and to what had followed.

"No,
thank you. I'll catch the bus."

"Such
a waste of money," Delors said. "And the bus takes much longer."
His hand moved to lift the bag from her shoulder. She gripped the strap tightly
and shook her head vigorously.

"No!
I'll take the bus."

Suddenly
there was another man beside them. He was middle-aged and bald with a round
face and a square body. "Hello, Juliet," he said.

"Sorry
I'm late...the damn traffic." He spoke perfect English but with an accent
she had never heard before.

The
bald man turned to Delors and said, "No problem, mate, she's coming with
me."

Delors
saw the puzzled look on the girl's face and quickly grabbed her elbow.

"Do
you know this man?" he asked. "You have to be careful here."

Then
everything was happening at great speed. The bald, square man took two short
paces and his right fist slammed into Delors' belly. With an anguished grunt,
Delors released Juliet's elbow and swung his right arm. His fist whistled over
the bald man's head and she heard a sound like a wet towel hitting a tiled
floor. Delors went down backwards. Someone began shouting, then the bald man
had an arm round her waist, plucking her off her feet. She drew a breath to
scream but then heard his harsh voice against her ear, "Creasy sent me. Be
quiet and run."

Her
feet hit the ground and his hand gripped hers, pulling her towards the
entrance. To her right she saw the tall, dark-faced man running towards them,
his hand reaching under his jacket. Then suddenly he too was sent sprawling to
the floor from a blow behind.

In all
the speed and confusion she recognised the face of the man who had delivered
the blow. She recognised it from a photograph in one of the files she had
studied from Creasy's safe. She remembered the name printed under the face:
'Maxie MacDonald'. One of the good ones. She kept running as she saw
Maxie pull out a pistol, his eyes darting around the concourse. Then they were
outside and a black car was pulling up with the back, nearside door open. She
felt herself lifted and tossed into it, then her breath was punched out as a
body landed on top of her. She heard the door slam, then the squeal of tyres,
and a voice above her saying urgently, "Stay down, Juliet. Stay down. We
are friends from Creasy."

She had
no choice but to stay down. The bald-headed man was lying right across her; she
smelt garlic on his breath. She heard another voice from the front passenger
seat saying, "All clear. We change cars in about a minute."

The
weight lifted off her and she struggled into a sitting position.

Maxie
MacDonald was sitting beside the driver, the gun still in his hand. He was
looking through the rear window. His eyes flickered towards her and he said,
"I'm Maxie MacDonald." He gestured with the pistol towards the man
beside her. "That's Frank Miller...The driver's Rene Callard. We are
friends of Creasy and Michael."

She
collected herself and murmured, "I know your names...What happened?"

"Wait,"
Maxie said. "I'll explain later."

They
skidded to a stop next to another black car parked in a lay-by. Within seconds
they had transferred to the other car and two minutes later had pulled off the
autostrada onto a side-road.

Maxie
slipped the pistol back under his jacket and said to Rene, "It'll take
them twenty minutes to put up road-blocks. We'll be long gone."

"What
happened?" Juliet repeated apprehensively.

Beside
her, Frank Miller said, "What happened was that you were stupid. You're
going to have one angry father and one angry brother. I expect and I hope that
they'll smack your bottom."

She
turned to look into his stern eyes. "What's your accent?" she said.

"Australian,"
he answered aggressively.

She
nodded as if that explained it.

The
child Katrin was excited. She had never seen the sea before.

She had
never seen a ship. Now she saw the sea and a ship big and white. She laughed in
simple delight and Sister Assunta and Sister Simona laughed with her.

Katrin
carried a plastic bag with her sole belongings: a change of underwear, two
pairs of socks, a pink dress, two T-shirts and another pair of jeans. Plus a
large toilet bag containing a bar of soap, a nail brush, a tube of toothpaste
and a toothbrush.