CHAPTER FIFTY
It was obvious to all of them that Barstow was scared to his soul of Roman Ardelean, but something wasn’t right. Even though Nicholas’s side ached, he wasn’t about to admit it to Mike, who gave him the eye every couple of minutes.
“This is everything, Corry? You’ve told us the entire truth? Roman Ardelean has killed these people because they refused to pay him their final payment for the drone army?”
“Yes.”
Harry motioned them into the hall. “Ben, Ian, I trust you’ve located him?”
Ian said, “Actually, sir, we can’t find him. No one’s answering at his home, his mobile is off, and his offices claim they haven’t seen him. His jet is at Northolt, in the hangar, unused. But Ardelean himself, we don’t know.”
Mike said, “Ardelean wants his final payment. I’m thinking Barstow can get him to come out if he offers to pay him.”
Harry rubbed his chin. “I daresay you’re right, Michaela. Let’s approach him.”
Barstow looked exhausted. He was no longer handcuffed, but they knew he wouldn’t try to run. That wasn’t an option.
Harry asked, “Where is Ardelean?”
“I don’t know. I told you the truth, he’s gone mad, uses LSD like I told you, at very low levels to keep himself in check, a special formula he mentioned once. I think he’s now become dependent on the drug, and it’s making him extremely reckless. He must be stopped. You must stop him. If I could, I would.”
“How do you propose we do this?” Mike asked him.
“Kill him. We have to kill him. It’s the only way.”
Nicholas said, “We’re not assassins.”
“You were,” Barstow said, a sneer marring his mouth. “And quite good at it, if I recall.”
Harry leaned over Barstow, his voice quiet and deadly. “Listen to me, Barstow, one more accusation out of you about my son’s past and when I find Ardelean I’ll feed you to him.”
Mike wanted to kick this miserable immoral ass into the wainscoting. Nicholas stared at his father, saw his rage at Barstow—and it was for him. He swallowed.
Nicholas laid his hand on his father’s arm, said, “We won’t execute your problem for you. But we will arrest him, make him pay for the four people he’s murdered. Ah, and the Eurostar he bombed with one of his drones. Two Australian tourists died.”
“Yes, yes, he did that, too, to put the screws to me more, that, and I’m sure he wanted to distract you. Harry, listen to me, if you eliminate Ardelean, the drone army he’s built can go to Her Majesty’s government. He’s the head of the hydra. Kill him and the whole nightmare comes to an end, and perhaps, since I’ve told you everything, there will be leniency for me.”
“One more chance, Corry. Where might we find Roman Ardelean?”
Barstow said, “I didn’t lie. I know he has a flat in Belgravia. Search there. There’s where I usually met him, before.”
Ben spoke up for the first time. “Belgravia? I thought he had a country estate north of London, that’s where all the articles say he lives.”
“He owns multiple homes.”
Nicholas said, “Ben, please get Adam on it.”
Harry asked, “And what of the one billion pounds you owe him for building your army?”
“I couldn’t put him off any longer. To buy time, I told him I would pay him today. I realized it wouldn’t work, that he would kill me next. You have to kill him.”
Mike said slowly, “You said you aren’t able to pay him the rest of his money because the investors haven’t paid you? Or him? It’s you, isn’t it? They were to pay you, and you were to pay Ardelean.”
“Yes, of course. I’m running the program.”
It was then everything clicked into place. Nicholas said, “No wonder you want us to kill Ardelean. You can’t do it yourself.” Nicholas leaned over right in his face, his hands on the chair arms just as his father had done. “You know what I think? You decided to screw him out of his final payment. You kept his one billion pounds.”
“Of course not! The investors refused to pay, they—” Barstow stopped cold when Nicholas laughed at him, straightened and crossed his arms over his chest.
“You’re a paltry human being, my lord. Did you ever have a grand notion of saving the nations of Africa, of shipping them arms and a drone army to fight off radical Islam? ISIS? Or was it always about getting yourself really, really rich? One billion pounds is a lot of money.”
“Don’t you dare speak to me like that! I wanted the drone army! Do you hear me, I’m a patriot. I love my country, all my ancestors have loved England, served England. My family is in all the history books. I wanted to join them—I would have been the best of them. I would have saved a country! None of this is my fault. Ardelean is the one, the only one!”
He was heaving. Harry said, “You’re going to call him, Corry. You’re going to reaffirm your promise to pay him. You’ll set it up for tonight. And we’re going to arrest him, not execute him.”
Barstow, calmer now, said, “He’s probably with his brother, but not at the flat in Belgravia. From what I gather, the brother, his twin, has some sort of rare disease. Roman won’t ever say, but I know his twin never leaves the house.”
Harry said, “His twin brother? I didn’t know Ardelean had a brother.”
Nicholas said, “Adam will find Ardelean, and he’ll find his brother, too.” His mobile rang. It was Penderley.
“Sir?”
“Drummond, we have a problem. Another murder. No, not a drone murder with poison fired into the neck, but listen to this. When our people interviewed all the neighbors, an older man reported seeing a falcon perched on the windowsill of the apartment. He thinks it’s the same apartment where the murder occurred. I didn’t like the sound of it. The murdered man is an American. The manner in which he was killed, it is unusual. You’ll see when you arrive. I have a very bad feeling about this.”
Nicholas looked back into the conference room. Adam would locate Ardelean, his father would deal with Barstow. “A falcon? The man was sure?”
“Yes, he was.”
“We’re coming. Where shall I meet you?”
“Dawson Place, Notting Hill, W2. Oh, Drummond? Have you got the murders sorted yet?”
“Yes, sir, I believe so.”
“Ah, excellent. Oh yes, DCI Gareth Scott is the lead.”
He punched off to see Mike beside him, a brow raised. “What was that?”
“Are you in the mood to divide and conquer? Because Penderley needs us, says an American has been murdered in Notting Hill. A falcon was reported sitting on the windowsill. Penderley thought we’d like to get involved. He said something about the manner of the murder was unusual.”
“There’s no ‘we’ in this. I’ll go. You are going to the hospital. No, no arguments.”
He started to argue, but a fierce shaft of pain went through his side. “You’re sure? This could be big, Mike. I really don’t need a doctor—”
“No arguments, or I’ll tell your father.”
“Come back as soon as you can.”
“You promise you’ll go get checked out at the hospital?”
“Actually, there’s usually a physician here.”
“All right, I believe you. Don’t make me hurt you, Nicholas. Now, I’ll catch a cab. How far is it from here to Notting Hill?”
Ian had stepped out of the conference room and had obviously overheard the discussion. “Mike, I’ll drive you. It will be faster. Really, a falcon?”
“Yes, I appreciate that. We should go.” She gave Nicholas’s hand a warning squeeze. “Physician, now. Oh, and Nicholas, don’t shoot Barstow—excuse me—his lordship.”
“That I can’t promise I won’t do.”
“Then do it so we won’t be caught.” And she and Ian were gone.