“Yes,” the young woman said. “I checked her in no more than five minutes ago; she was headed for the security checkpoint when I last saw her.”
“Thank you,” Stone said, and hurried off, following signs to the checkpoint. The area was a zoo, with dozens of passengers lining up for the security check and X-ray machines. Stone jumped up and down, trying to see over their heads, and he saw Arrington pick up her hand luggage on the other side and start toward the gates. He didn’t want to start shouting at her, and there was no way to break into the line, so he went to an exit, where a uniformed policeman was on guard.
“Excuse me,” he said to the bobby, “I’m trying to catch up with a friend who has just gone through security; may I get in this way?”
“Do you have any luggage, sir?”
“No.”
“May I see your ticket?”
“I don’t have a ticket; I’m not flying today, she is.”
“May I see your passport?”
The police had his passport. “I’m afraid I didn’t bring it.”
“Some other identification?”
Stone dove into a pocket, then remembered it was empty. “Oh, God, I didn’t bring my wallet.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“This really is a sort of personal emergency.”
“I’m very sorry, sir, but I can’t let you through without a ticket or any identification.”
Then Stone heard a voice behind him. “It’s all right, mate, we’ll deal with this.”
Two men seized his arms and marched him back through the terminal. Stone looked at them and recognized the two detectives who had accompanied Evelyn Throckmorton the night before.
“Trying to catch a flight, were we, Mr. Barrington?” one of them said.
“No, I was trying to catch up with a friend who’s leaving on a noon flight.”
“Well, he’ll have plenty of time to make it,” the cop said.
“Do you think it might be possible for me to go after her? Can you vouch for me with the officer at the security gate? It’s very important that I speak to her.”
“I believe Detective Inspector Throckmorton told you last night that you were not to leave the country,” the cop said.
“But I wasn’t trying to leave.”
“You wouldn’t have made it without your passport, anyway.”
“Honestly, I was just trying to catch up with my friend.”
They were out the door, where Stone’s taxi was still waiting for him.
“That cab is waiting for me to go back to the Connaught,” he said.
“Never mind, we’ll give you a lift,” the cop replied.
“But I have to pay him.”
The cop stopped. “All right, pay him.”
“I don’t have any money with me; it’s back in my room at the Connaught.”
The cop sighed wearily. “I suppose you expect me to pay him.”
“Look, I’m not trying to leave the country; you can follow me back to the hotel.”
“Just a moment.” The cop produced a cellphone and stepped a few paces away. A moment later, he returned. “All right, Mr. Barrington, the detective inspector says you can return to the Connaught.”
“Thank you.”
“But don’t give us any more chases, all right?”
“Thank you again.” Stone got into the cab.
“Catch her, sir?”
“Not quite,” Stone replied. “Take me back to the Connaught.”
The black Ford followed them all the way back.
Chapter 40
STONE GOT BACK TO THE CONNAUGHT, went upstairs, got money, and paid the driver, tipping him extravagantly. As he passed the concierge’s desk, he heard his name called.
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Barrington,” the concierge said, “but this message arrived for you last evening, and it was somehow misplaced.” He handed Stone a yellow envelope.
Stone opened it and extracted the message. I’m on my way, it said, and that was all. “Who is it from?” he asked the concierge.
“I’m afraid that’s just how it came, sir; there was no name. We thought you’d know who it was from.”
“Man or woman?”
“I’m sorry, sir, I wasn’t on duty last evening, so I don’t know.”
Stone stuffed it into his pocket and went upstairs. He didn’t care who the fuck it was from, he was too pissed off. He let himself into the suite, hung up his jacket, and picked up the London papers. He went quickly through the Times and the Independent, looking for further mention of the two dead “Greeks” but saw nothing. There was a small piece about the explosion at the antiques market, but it had, apparently, been attributed to a gas leak.