The Getaway - By Tom Barber Page 0,64

you about Gerrard. He was so mad that the Assistant Directors thought that Gerrard could be doing something shady. It made him even more upset that they’d wanted to send him down here to tail him. It’s all bullshit, he told me. Gerry would never do a thing like that. He was adamant. I think he took the post because he wanted to build a case to show that Gerrard hadn’t flipped. That was his intention.’

She paused.

‘Anyway, he called me last Thursday. Late, around 10 pm. Told me he’d found something, solid proof that Gerry wasn’t the guy. He wouldn’t tell me what it was over the phone. Said I’d find out soon enough, and that he was leaving later on that night. But before morning, his body was found in the parking lot in Queens. He found something on someone. He confirmed it to me, over the phone. And the timing tells me that whatever it was got him killed.’

Archer leaned forward, cursing quietly. Katic looked at him, concerned.

‘What do you think?’ she asked.

‘I think you’re telling the truth. Because Farrell told me the same damn thing. He said someone out of your team slotted my father before he left town.’

He paused and looked over at her, the pistol still in his hand.

‘But maybe it was you.’

‘How so?’

‘You were here before the others. Clearly you are tough and career driven. I’m guessing you wanted that promotion as head of the Task Force really badly. But they passed you over, probably not because you’re a woman, but you probably thought that was why. I don’t see a wedding ring, so you’re single. Not much money. So you decided to work with Farrell. You picked up my dad and tailed him, covering your tracks. My father called you and told you he’d found something and you killed him before he could tell anyone what it was. Then you decided to rip Farrell off, and hold me up for the cash in the trunk.’

She didn’t answer. Silence filled the car. He looked over at her. She’d been wearing that exact same expression on her face the first time he ever saw her, at the funeral a week ago. He was pretty good at spotting a liar, but this woman wasn’t lying. She looked too worried to be faking. She wasn’t a professional actress. She looked just like an FBI agent who was in some extremely deep shit.

‘It’s not me,’ she said. ‘All I can do is promise you. But someone in the team is for sure.’

‘Not Gerry.’

She shrugged. ‘I’m just looking at every scenario. But this thing could go up way above me, Archer. I was doing this with your father before he got killed. Now I’m doing it alone.’

Silence.

Both of them sat there, a thousand thoughts racing through each of their minds.

Archer went to speak, but a phone suddenly rang, breaking the silence in the car.

It was Katic’s.

She pulled it from her pocket. He saw her glance at the display.

‘It’s Siletti,’ she said. ‘He’s off duty. Maybe he can help?’

The phone continued to ring. She looked at Archer, her face asking permission because of the gun in his hand.

‘OK. Answer it,’ he said.

She pressed the button and lifted it to her ear.

‘Hey.’

Archer heard murmuring the other end.

After a moment, Katic frowned. ‘What?’

‘What is it?’ Archer asked quietly.

She listened further, then covered the lower half of the phone, turning to him.

‘He’s saying the NYPD have been informed that you are a suspect in the heist. Every cop in the city is searching for you.’

She lifted her hand and turned back to the call.

‘No, I’m with him,’ she told Siletti. ‘He’s innocent. He was working with Gerrard.’

Archer didn’t move. From his seat, he heard a quiet murmuring over the receiver as Siletti continued to talk down the line.

‘Where is he?’ Archer asked.

Katic heard this, then asked Siletti. There was a pause.

‘Columbus Circle.’

‘There’s a cinema by 67and Broadway. Loews. Tell him to meet us there in fifteen minutes.’

Katic looked at him, covering the receiver. ‘That’s the other side of the Park? Why not around here?’

‘Just tell him.’

She thought about it, then nodded and told Siletti the plan. Beside her, Archer pulled his own phone from his pocket and tried Gerrard again, lifting it to his ear, silently pleading for someone to pick up.

But there was no response.

No one picked up.

67 and Broadway was a logistical problem for Katic and Archer to get to, being the other side of Central Park. Katic wanted to drive