Coleman #3
“The guy she’s schtupping. I knew that mouth of hers would get her in trouble someday.
According to the rules of inheritance, the property can’t be sold off.
Donated, perhaps, but not sold. Not for any personal gain.
Callico House has to stay in the family.
They also knew that, if, by some stroke of legal genius, they were to find a loophole, consent from all remaining Callicos, or their next of kin, would be required.
If what I suspect is true, then that would include you, Gabriel.
And at the very least, you could have made things difficult for them. ”
I take a moment to let this information sink in. Was Romano aware? Is that what he was investigating on my behalf?
“Now you tell me,” says Coleman. “What better motive could there be for bumping off Gabriel Redbrick? And from what I overheard back in the house, they think they’ve succeeded.”
I am not sure how I feel about this new revelation. If Albert adopted me, why didn’t he tell me? Was this another precaution, a failsafe, to make sure I was taken care of in case anything happened to him?
“I planned to find a way to visit you at the villa,” continues Coleman.
“But I also wanted to stay close to Sylvie, to make sure she was cared for. I did try to call you a couple of times after the funeral, but your number was disconnected. And then, when I finally got some breathing space, Alice announced she was planning to go see you. Sorry if you feel I’ve let you down, Gabriel. ”
“You haven’t. You didn’t. If you’d followed in Alice’s footsteps, however well-meaning, people might have become suspicious.”
“You know, at some point,” says Coleman, nodding slowly, “you’ve got an important decision to make. Whether to spend the rest of your life like an archaeologist excavating your early life, or to live the best one you can as Gabriel. Nobody else can answer that for you.”
“You think someone like me could ever lead a normal life?”
“For the record, I did not use the word ‘normal’. What the fuck is normal anyway? But you do have a choice, Gabriel.”
“Do I? You think whatever government department instigated the Knight’s Watch project is going to stop hunting me down?”
“You have a powerful ally in Romano. And he wants you very much alive. Besides, there seem to be enough people who know about your existence that any overt action is likely to attract attention. And I’m guessing that’s the last thing they want.
Rather than keep running, it might be time to strike a deal.
More immediately, where do you want to go after we’ve checked out Hartfield? ”
Coleman has given me much to think about, but the answer to his last question is easy.
“Eagle House, Monticiano. I want to go home. Back to my team.”
“Home, huh? Give you time to regroup. Excellent choice.”
We continue on for an hour without speaking, which is good because he’s given me much to think about.
Coleman clearly senses this and switches to a more upbeat music station.
He suggests a pit stop at a café in a small village off the main route.
We take seats at the back of the room and sit opposite each other.
After we take turns using the restroom, Coleman asks for my sandwich choice and heads up to the counter.
While he is ordering, I send another brief message to Lorenzo.
Almost instantly, a message pops up on my display.
Unknown: He’s unable to respond. The security detail at the da Vinci airport confiscated all personal phones. They’re using government-issued devices. He’ll call you tonight or tomorrow.
I look up and see Coleman at the counter, chatting to a woman behind the cash register while pointing at the chalkboard menu on the wall. My thumbs flash across the display.
Gabriel: Who is this? Romano?
Unknown: Never mind who this is. Concentrate on the task at hand. Right now, you need closure, Gabe. ?????????????????
A chill fills me. Is that our pigpen code this person’s using? I’m the only one who knows the cypher apart from Albert. I recognise many of the characters from his original warning text. This one spells out the letters ‘HESCOMING’.
Right then, the screen bubbles with the person typing again, and two more messages pop onto the display.
Unknown: I need to sign off now. ???????????????
Unknown: Until then, I will remain here and watch out for you. ????????
I may no longer have my tablet, but I recognise enough of these emojis to know that they spell out the following words,
HE’S COMING.
BE READY.
HUSH
I am tempted to type back and ask who’s coming and what I need to be ready for? But this person, whoever they are, has used our secret code for a reason, and responding might alert anyone monitoring our messages. And I assume ‘hush’ means I should keep this warning to myself.
When Coleman returns, I place my phone face down on the table, smile, accept the food, and thank him.
But I keep asking myself who’s coming and why I need to be ready. Has someone discovered we’re on our way to Hartfield?