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Gareth asked Mike, “Any emergency contacts on the paperwork?”
“Looks like a three-eight-six area code and the name Nadia Marin. That’s Florida. We’ll have to get in touch as soon as we know what’s happened.”
“Pretty clear to me,” the landlord said, and now the man once short on words, spewed. “Mr. Brooks’s been murdered, right here in my building! And poor Dr. Marin’s been kidnapped. Who would do this? A maniac, I know it’s some crazy. Do something.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Mike stepped into the hallway and called Nicholas. “You answered your cell so you’re alive. What did the doctor say?”
“I’m fine, Mike, it’s just a flesh wound.” He paused, and she could see his grin, then, “Don’t worry. Talk to me.”
“Gareth verified there was, to the best of his knowledge, a falcon spotted on the windowsill of the apartment. He interviewed the man himself who saw it. Penderley asked him to.”
“Which brings to mind Roman Ardelean.”
“Unfortunately, the video we saw did show a man coming in and dragging Isabella Marin out, but it wasn’t Ardelean.” She gave him the description of the man, told him about the two puncture wounds in Gil Brooks’s neck. “But he wasn’t exsanguinated, Nicholas, not like the Vampire Killer, or Dracula, Interpol is looking for.
“The man—who isn’t Ardelean—hauled the woman away, probably downstairs to the apartment garage. Nicholas, she looked like she’d been drugged or smacked hard. She works at the British Museum. I’m heading there right now. Oh yes, Gareth says hello.”
“Hello back to him. Now, Barstow has called Ardelean three times, and he’s not answering. We’ve sent a team to watch over the Belgravia flat. Adam is looking for any possible addresses for Ardelean outside of Belgravia, and so far we’re coming up blank. We may start tapping into CCTV and see what we can find from yesterday. Ardelean had to come to us from somewhere, perhaps we can follow him back out.”
“Was he driving or walking?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Remember the article you showed me about the Internet of Things and how easy it is to hack someone’s personal information out of the devices they’re using for their home and for their car? You said it was possible to hack into a car’s GPS system and see addresses. If you can find his car, maybe you can find an address that way.”
“Mike, you are brilliant. We’ll get on it right away. We have to find his car, obviously, but they’ll have a record of its make, model, and vehicle registration plates in the parking garage.”
“Glad to help. Why hasn’t MI5 released his information to the media?”
“My father wants to capture Ardelean quietly. It won’t do for the public to get wind of his and Barstow’s actions. We’re talking a big scandal in the government, not good.”
“Barstow set the train wreck in motion, and now people are dead. They won’t be able to cover it up forever.”
“I agree, but this isn’t my call. We will certainly go public if we need to, but for the moment, since Ardelean has means to flee the country and disappear, we want to try to keep this quiet. If he is as unstable as Barstow claims, and it goes public, he might retaliate with more attacks.”
“I’m off to the British Museum. Nicholas, you’ll find him. Have faith.”
“Will do. You keep me up to date, as well. And, Mike? Be careful. If Ardelean gets wind of us looking for him, I don’t think he’ll hesitate to come after us again. If he knows where you are—just be careful.”
Nicholas hung up with Mike and started typing again. Adam had imported all the CCTV feed from the surrounding area, and Nicholas had tapped into the garage system so he could pull up the car and registration plate. All the while, the back of his mind was spinning.
Who was Roman Ardelean?
“Ben, do me a favor. Find Ardelean’s history, his whole backstory. We’re missing something here.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
There are around 2,000 people with severe haemophilia A in the U.K. A hereditary genetic condition dominantly affecting men, people with severe haemophilia A have virtually none of the protein factor VIII, which is essential for blood to clot. It puts those affected at risk of excessive bleeding even from the slightest injury, as well as causing spontaneous internal bleeding, which can be life-threatening. . . . [T]here is no cure.
—MedicalXPress.com
Radu watched from the window as Roman strode down to the dock.
He could tell things were unraveling, had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. All the work they’d done, all the planning, the years of searching, and they’d finally found the person who could cure him. But Roman was unstable now, furious and impatient, and betrayed, so betrayed, by the man he’d thought was his friend—and Radu had believed was his friend, as well—Caleb Temora. And what of Barstow, once his trusted partner?
Iago came to the window with him. “I will let the cast out to follow him. They always calm him.”
