Chapter 65
Why is Steve looking at the airport photos again? He’s looked at them dozens of times now, if not hundreds. The blond hitman is nowhere to be seen. Not in Bratislava, not in Helsinki, not in Palm Springs. Nowhere.
And even if he was in one of these photos, what would that tell him? That the hitman, the man who attacked Tony Taylor, works for Connor Brooks? He knows that already.
Trouble has noticed that Steve is working and has decided that it will not stand. He jumps up on to Steve’s desk, pads across the photos for a while and then curls himself up on top of them.
‘That’s helpful, is it?’ asks Steve. ‘You’re helping me catch a murderer?’
Trouble shuts his eyes, just letting Steve know that he is settling in for a while, and that, despite the abundant cat cushions, cat beds and even, a post-pub purchase this one, a luxury cat tree that are there for his exclusive use, a pile of scratchy papers on a hard wooden desk is exactly the level of comfort he was looking for.
Steve leans back and laces his hands behind his head.
What has he missed? Not that it much matters now.
Ernesto is talking to Brooks, and Interpol are on their way over to see him.
All cases closed. Rosie, Amy and Steve had been paid, before Vern’s death, and fairly handsomely, so job done.
But Steve senses it is not done. He looks down at the photos again, but doesn’t like to disturb Trouble when he knows exactly what he will see.
He has Carlos’s version of the Palm Springs CCTV in an email so clicks that open instead.
It’s grainier than Ernesto’s version, but it’s the same photo.
Time on the wall still the same, the same familiar faces in the queue in front of and behind Connor Brooks.
But there is a difference between the photos. Steve checks and rechecks. This can’t possibly be true. Steve doesn’t want it to be true.
Because if it is …
Steve jumps to his feet and pulls out his phone.
‘Amy, where are you? Oh, he did, oh I’m so happy, no, don’t put him on … no, I don’t need to t– I’m coming to pick you up. Have you got a gun? Uh huh, uh huh. I don’t suppose you have two guns? You have Lee’s? Okay, hold tight, I’ll tell you when I get there. Love to Adam.’
Steve rushes to the door, then turns back and places a kiss on Trouble’s head.
‘Good lad,’ says Steve. ‘You’ve just solved a murder.’