Sisters - Michelle Frances Page 0,103

you feel like it, no?’ Rose mimed encircling someone’s neck with her hands.

Abby shrugged.

‘So who is this man that your sister is with?’

‘Someone we met in France. We’re on a . . . road trip,’ said Abby. ‘We bumped into this guy a few days ago. He’s also travelling. Been cycling the Camino de Santiago trail.’

‘How nice that they arrange to meet up again here in Spain.’

‘No, it wasn’t like that. We actually thought we’d never see him again. Then Ellie gets a message from him – turns out he’s only down the road. It was a total coincidence . . .’ Abby trailed off as her brain started to wake up, see the cliff she’d been wandering towards in the fog. ‘Oh my God.’

‘Is everything all right?’ asked Rosa.

Abby stood. Quickly got some money out of her purse and put it on the table. ‘Yes . . . I need to go.’ She tried to maintain a calm demeanour. ‘Thank you, Rosa. The coffee was wonderful.’ Then she hurried out of the cafe, dread seeping right through her. Knowing it wasn’t a coincidence at all.

SEVENTY-SEVEN

Baroni heard a muffled sound that she couldn’t quite identify. She pushed the headphone in close to her ears, straining to hear more. What was that? And where was her plant? Why wasn’t he speaking? Why weren’t either of them speaking? It was making her nervous.

She looked across at her techie guys and saw a grin slowly creep across the face of one as enlightenment dawned on him.

‘What is it?’ she asked quickly. But she didn’t need to wait for an answer as she heard distinctive heavy breathing. Heaving breathing interspersed with kissing. It was still muffled but now she’d identified it, she knew it could be nothing else.

What the . . .? Where was the mike? It obviously wasn’t still on his body. Baroni grimaced. Fredrik must have removed it, and by the muffled sound, he’d hidden it under something.

The radio burst in. ‘Any more from the suspect?’ asked Santini from outside.

The techie guy answered: ‘They can’t speak. Too busy eating each other’s faces.’

A bark of laughter came from Santini. ‘Serious? The dirty bastard.’

‘What a player, eh?’

‘Can’t trust those Scandis to keep their dicks in their pants.’

Baroni did her best to ignore them. Damn Fredrik – this was definitely not what they’d discussed. What the hell did he think he was playing at? She tried to clear her head, to block out the other officers so she could think, but they were like a pack of hyenas.

‘Quiet!’ she barked.

This elicited raised eyebrows but Baroni hardly noticed. She got up and moved over to the screens. On one of them, a young woman was hurrying down the road towards the B & B. It was Abby.

Baroni’s heart began to race. She pushed the button on her radio. ‘Suspect in view.’

SEVENTY-EIGHT

‘On it,’ said Santini, all attention now, his voice coming up on Baroni’s radio.

‘She’s coming down the main street, north to south, towards the B & B,’ replied Baroni. ‘She’ll be in your sight in about thirty seconds.’

‘Got her!’ said Santini. ‘I am exiting my vehicle.’

Baroni watched on the screen and saw what Santini could see – Abby was nearing the B & B. She wasn’t alone on the street, though; a large group of women with their young children were pouring out of the village hall. In moments, they had surrounded Abby: kids, prams, teddies, mothers.

‘I can still see her,’ said Santini.

‘No,’ said Baroni. ‘Wait.’

‘I’ve got her in my sights.’

He what? Baroni scanned the screen but Santini wasn’t far forward enough to be on camera and she couldn’t see what he was doing. ‘Do you have your weapon?’ she barked.

‘Directed right on the suspect,’ said Santini.

There were dozens of children around. What was he thinking? Baroni watched and waited, mentally urging the young mothers to move on. They laughed and talked and attempted to cajole their children along in an orderly fashion. It was like watching people trying to herd cats.

‘Get back in your car,’ said Baroni.

‘I can get to her,’ said Santini. ‘Make her hand herself in.’

‘I said return to your vehicle!’

There was silence. Jesus! Baroni had no choice but to yank off her headset and exit the van. She jumped into the road and up ahead saw Santini pressed low to the road, his gun raised at the crowd ahead. Somewhere amongst them she caught a fleeting glimpse of Abby.

‘Lower your weapon immediately,’ she said into her radio. ‘I am right behind you