Deep Hurt - Eva Hudson Page 0,42

I told you, I wasn’t thinking at all. I just jumped out of the van.”

Ingrid leaned forward, closer to Cooper than Gurley was. She felt as if she needed to get between the two men before tempers flared even more. “Is there anything else you can tell us about the way he looked?”

It took Cooper a moment to tear his gaze away from Gurley’s face. Ingrid wasn’t even sure he’d heard her question.

“I told you, one second he was there, the next he was gone. I’ve told you everything there is to tell.”

Gurley suddenly stood up and ducked around the table. He crouched next to Cooper, their heads at the same level. “I’m going to ask you this once and I’d advise you to think very carefully before you answer.”

Cooper frowned at Gurley, then turned toward Ingrid. She managed to keep her face expressionless. What the hell was Gurley doing?

“Do you know where Kyle Foster is right now?”

“Of course not! How could I? I’ve been in this place for over two hours.”

“Are you protecting Kyle Foster?”

“No! I barely know the bloke. I wish I didn’t, now I’ve found out what he’s capable of.”

“Did you give him money, or any other kind of assistance when you saw him earlier?”

“What’s going on here? I reported the sighting, didn’t I? Why would I do that if I wanted to help him?”

“I don’t believe you.”

“But I’m telling you the truth. For God’s sake, what do I have to do to convince you?”

Gurley moved closer to Cooper. “Who then? Who else would want to help him? Who was he waiting for when you saw him?”

“How would I know? I’m not a bloody mindreader.” Cooper tried to move his face away, but Gurley clamped a hand around the back of his neck. “Ask Yvonne if she knows anything about it,” Cooper said, his voice coming out in a strangled whisper.

“Yvonne?”

“Yvonne Sherwood. The landlady at the Hare and Hounds—the pub I go to on a Saturday afternoon with Foster. She’s decidedly chummy with the bloke. If you know what I mean.”

22

Ingrid jogged to keep up with Gurley as he strode down the corridor and back outside. “We have to let him go,” she said.

“Do we?”

“He’s a witness, not a goddamn criminal—he could make a lot of trouble for the embassy if he decided to go to the press. You know how sensitive this whole situation is.”

“We will let him go. But there’s no harm in having him stew a little longer before we do. That way he might be more reluctant to go to the police when he gets out of here. He won’t want to waste any more of his precious time being questioned.” Gurley stopped abruptly and called over a Security Forces sergeant who was coming out of the adjacent building. “That guy—Cooper—make sure he gets his phone back and is released in thirty minutes. No, make it an hour. If he talks about filing an official complaint, remind him how valuable the US Air Force contract is to him.” He glanced at Ingrid. “That was a nice touch, by the way.”

The sergeant saluted Gurley and disappeared into the building they’d just exited.

“Thank you,” Ingrid said.

“I had no intention of detaining him. I wouldn’t want to make any trouble for you and the embassy.”

Ingrid wasn’t sure she entirely believed him. She suspected he’d make just as much trouble as he needed, if it got him the right result. “You do know we’re supposed to keep DCI Radcliffe informed of what we’re doing, if we discover anything new,” she reminded him.

“So far we’ve had an unconfirmed sighting. Geographically we might be a little closer to Foster, but practically? We’re no further forward than we were two hours ago.”

It seemed like a fine line they were walking, but for the time being, Ingrid was prepared to go along with Gurley’s approach. It wasn’t as if Radcliffe could offer them much assistance right now, and involving the local cops would only slow them down. “OK—let’s go talk to Yvonne Sherwood. Then we can make a decision whether we pass on the information. Maybe she’ll tell us nothing useful. No point in wasting anyone else’s time.”

“Couldn’t agree more. We’ll take my car. We don’t want to roll into the village in an Air Force vehicle. No need to announce our arrival.” He set off at top speed once again.

“Do you know her—the manager of the Hare and Hounds?” Ingrid asked, breaking into a jog to catch up with him.

“Never