“Suspicious?” Kendra’s gaze flew to his face. “Why?”
“The head of the fire brigade team said he found the corpse lodged beneath one of the library tables.” Fitz paused before he added, “And there were burned and blackened ropes tying down the body to the legs of the table.”
“Oh, my God.” Kendra felt sick.
“They can’t be sure,” Fitz added quickly. “They’ve just turned the case over to the police, and she’ll be on her way to forensics. But they haven’t been able to locate Elizabeth Porter here or at her apartment yet.”
“I don’t think they will,” Kendra said dully.
Burned and blackened ropes . . . The hideous vision was almost overwhelming.
“We’ll find out,” Jessie said as she took Kendra’s cup and gave it back to Fitz. “Through nagging either that blasted Justice Department or Lynch, when we find him. But now we’ve got to get you out of here, Kendra.”
“And we will find him,” Kendra said grimly. “Someone did this horrible thing so that we wouldn’t find Lynch. That poor woman . . .” She shuddered. Then she drew a deep breath and straightened as she realized what this shock was doing to her. She was being weak, and she wouldn’t permit herself to give in to that. It would only make what had been done to Elizabeth Porter and perhaps even to Lynch a defeat. She had to block out everything but what she had to do. “You’re right, we have to get out of here. We can’t let those sons of bitches win. I’m not going to let it happen.” She took a deep breath. “You said that you’d make arrangements, Jessie. Have you done it?”
“Absolutely.” Jessie nodded at the dark navy drapery hanging at the rear end of the booth. “Or rather Fitz did.” She grinned at him. “Why did you think he chose this booth to set up shop? He paid the owner a hefty sum and told him he’d split the profits he got from selling tea, soft drinks, and scones to the crowd and firemen and police. But first he checked that there was a back entrance to slip you out when it was time.”
“Convenient,” Kendra murmured.
Fitz nodded. “I aim to please. And as soon as I get you out of the booth, I’ll signal for a few of my friends to start a major ruckus in the crowd that will allow Jessie to slip you away. She’ll take you to the Eye, where I have a taxi ready to take you wherever you choose. It will be a dark gray Rolls-Royce that looks pretty ancient, but then so will my friend Herbert, the driver. But you can trust them both to get you where you need to go. There’s always such a crowd up there at the Eye that there shouldn’t be anyone interfering with you.” He grinned. “If you need me, Jessie will call and I’ll be there. I wasn’t expecting to have to give this type of service when she hired me. I really would have preferred Beyoncé, but I admit that it’s been a rather unique experience.”
Kendra’s lips twisted. “Thank you. I feel the same about you. I hope our next meeting is a bit tamer.” She headed toward the back of the booth. “Let’s get out of here, Jessie. We’ve done all we can.”
FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER
LONDON EYE
The parking lot for the Eye was just as crowded as Fitz had told them it would be. But they found the ancient Rolls-Royce he’d described with no problem, and the cabbie recognized Jessie and jumped from the driver’s seat to open the passenger door for them.
“Good evening.” He was a white-haired older man and as different from Fitz as humanly possible. “I’m Herbert. Iunderstand you ladies might be in a bit of a hurry. Where can I take you?”
“Just away from here.” Kendra leaned back in the seat and drew a deep breath. “You’re right, very quickly.” She glanced at Jessie. “I don’t think it’s safe to go back to the flat to pick up anything we’ve left there. We always carry our documents with us, and we can pick up anything else we need on the way. It’s almost certain that the card I left with Elizabeth Porter with my address and phone number is no longer in her hands.”
“And you’re afraid we might have visitors waiting for us?” Jessie was looking out the window and then suddenly gave a low whistle. “Correct me if I’m mistaken, but I believe they might have already been there. That’s our flat about three blocks from here, isn’t it? Damned if that doesn’t look like the blasted place is on fire, too. I doubt if the book mart explosion would have caused the sparks to carry that far to ignite that particular building. It’s more likely a welcoming committee.”
Kendra inhaled sharply as her gaze followed Jessie’s and she saw the rising smoke. “It wouldn’t surprise me.”
Jessie was staring out the back windshield. “Good, because we have an even more immediate problem. A midnight-blue Audi seems to be tailing us.”
Kendra glanced back just in time to see it match their lane change. “I think you’re right.” She leaned forward toward Herbert. “Get us out of here as discreetly as possible. We’ll worry about a destination later.”
“No problem.” Herbert was already speeding up. “Just relax and I’ll give you a tour of the city those blokes following you will never forget. They’ll be so dizzy by the first couple miles, they’ll be puking their guts out!”
“We don’t have to see it. We’ll take your word for it,” Jessie said grimly. “We’ll double the fare if you just make it happen.”
“No, you won’t. I’m proud of what I do,” Herbert said flatly. “It’s been a family business since I was a lad following after my dad when he got his first taxi back in the Blitz. Now hold on tight and watch me do my stuff!”
Herbert spun the wheel and roared across Waterloo Bridge.
Kendra looked at her phone. “Are you sure this is the best way? My phone says—”
Herbert snickered. “Put that thing away. Any London cabbie on his worst day will do better than that gadget on its best.” He winked at her in the rearview mirror. “Go ahead, dear. Put it away.”
Kendra lowered her phone.
They crossed the Thames, and Herbert pointed to a palace on the right. “That’s Somerset House. A nice place to stop for tea, or maybe a skate in the wintertime.”
“I’ll . . . keep that in mind.”
