Part 3 Unknown Caller
UNKNOWN CALLER
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
– Alexander Pope
‘Thanks for the assist, guys,’ I said.
‘You’re insane,’ Heidi said. ‘Loveable, but completely insane.’
‘Nice jump, kid,’ Bill said, nodding. ‘Quick thinking.’
Then the group from upstairs descended upon us, led by Special Agent Hooper, Director Longmuir, Quinn McCade and Audrey.
Longmuir was yelling into his phone: ‘Get some people to the bottom of the shaft! And call the coroner! There’s a dead body down there and it ain’t gonna be pretty.’
As he shouted, two of the junior FBI agents cut the boy’s bonds and gag while Audrey helped untie the (quite heavy) fire hose from my waist.
‘You’re crazy, you know that?’ she said.
‘Heidi already told me that.’
Audrey gave me a quick kiss. ‘You saved that little boy’s life by being crazy. I’m proud of you.’
The junior agents were about to whisk little Alexei away when I stood up.
‘Whoa now, wait!’ I said. ‘You’re not taking him anywhere. Where’s his mom? That kid’s not leaving this foyer except in his mother’s arms.’
That silenced everyone in the vestibule.
‘Where’s his mother?’ I asked Special Agent Hooper.
‘Uh, still up in the living room, I think—’
‘I’m here,’ a low voice said, making everyone turn.
Mrs Yasmina King was standing at the back of the gathered crowd.
She’d been watching everything.
She strode forward, shoving roughly past Hooper, scooping up her six-year-old son and wrapping her arms protectively around him.
‘Alexei, are you hurt? It’s all right, Mama’s here, Mama’s here,’ she said. Her Russian accent was strong.
I couldn’t believe how tall she was.
In her track top, yoga pants and flip-flops, she was still taller than almost everyone in the foyer, except maybe Hooper and Merritt Garrett.
‘Mrs King . . .’ Quinn McCade said, stepping over to her.
She slapped him.
Hard.
Right there in front of everybody.
‘Get away from me, you corporate snake,’ she hissed.
McCade retreated behind the FBI people.
Then Yasmina King’s eyes found mine.
‘You! Your name?’
‘Sam Speedman.’
‘You are the man who jumped into shaft to save my son?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
She assessed me for a long moment, gazing down her nose at me like she was peering at an insect.
Then she spoke.
‘I am in your debt, Sam Speedman. This I do not forget.’
The comment caught me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting gratitude from her.
‘I appreciate that, ma’am.’
Then she rounded on Director Longmuir and Special Agent Hooper and her voice turned to ice.
‘My husband and my daughter are still missing. Find them!’
‘Uh, yes. Yes, ma’am . . .’ Longmuir said.
Retrieving my backpack from the floor, I turned to my team.
‘Heidi, Bill, now that that’s over, can you guys go upstairs to Mr King’s bedroom and take a look at the items that were left on his bed: the drone, the phone, the watch and the chess piece.
Special Agent Hooper, you got any forensics people here?
Maybe you could get them to check those items for extra prints or more DNA? ’
Hooper arched back. ‘Listen, you—’
His boss Longmuir cut in. ‘No, he’s right. Send forensics to the bedroom.’
The Tech Detect said, ‘I’ll go, too. See if I can start up King’s phone. Might be something on it that can help.’
‘Good idea,’ I said.
‘Call you shortly,’ Heidi said as she, Bill and the Tech Detect hurried off.
Then my cell phone buzzed.
The screen said, unknown caller.
I clicked answer.
It was him.
‘Dr Speedman. Well done. You excelled yourself in that test, both in deduction and bravery. I might have to watch out for you. Put me on speaker.’
I did. ‘It’s him.’
Everyone leaned in to listen.
‘Hello all. Welcome to my game. I’m already having a wonderful time and if you want to find the W.O.R.M., you’ll keep playing—’
Quinn McCade cut in. ‘Before we do anything more, I want proof of life. Prove to us that Mr King is alive.’
A pause.
‘Your name, sir?’
‘Quinn McCade, Sinclair it refers to Instagram, an exclusive club with views of the park, and even a guy named Worm.’
Special Agent Hooper nodded. ‘I agree. Let’s move.’
He and Juno raced for the elevator.
I hesitated. ‘I just don’t—’
‘What the hell do you want?’ Hooper snapped. ‘To be the guy who solves it every time?’
‘Not at all, it’s just, well, this guy’s references in the first riddle were—’
Hooper waved me away.
‘We don’t have time for this. We’re going to 61.’
He dashed into the elevator with Juno.
Xiao went with them.
Like me, Merritt Garrett wasn’t quite convinced. He stayed. So did Audrey.
‘What were you about to say about this guy’s references in the first riddle?’ Merritt Garrett asked.
Time check.
Eight minutes.