Winterâs phone like a swarm of angry hornets.
âWill I let your little friend go for a TV screen?â mocked Sligo. âHa! Thatâs just the beginning. I have twenty million other demands waiting in line!â
âTwenty million?â I scoffed.
âTwenty million dollars, plus the Phoenix Pendant.â
âThe pendant? But thatâs crazy! Thatâs the most valuable piece in the entire Ormond collection! And where are we going to get twenty million dollars from?â
âCrazy? I think not. Why should the Queenâs little trinket go to some museum, when I could own it? And I am sure, Bodhan, that the Ormondsâ finances, combined with the wealth of the Frey estate should cover my financial needs rather comfortably. I will call again with details for the transfers.â
âAnd then what?â
âWhen youâve met my demandsânot an inch or a penny lessâI will release Cal on the night of the auction. So, get to work and I will supply further instructions.â
âWait!â Winter cried. âWhat about the antidote?â
âYes, of course, how careless of me. I will give Cal the antidote before I let him go.â
After Sligo hung up we were left staring at each other in silence.
I buried my face in my hands. Calâs condition had severely deteriorated. He didnât sound like he had a clue about what was going on around him. How did we know heâd even make it until the night of the charity auction?
There was no reason on earth to trust Sligo.
My mind was reeling, processing the possibilities .Did Sligo really want to reveal himself to the world at this event? Show everyone that he was backâbigger and badder than ever?
âHeâs lying,â said Winter. âThatâs not what he wants the screen for. He doesnât need us to organise that for him. Why canât he get his right-hand man to do that dirty work?â
âBut what about the money?â Ryan asked. âHe definitely needs us for that.â
âDoes he?â Winter asked. âWhy couldnât he have kidnapped Cal and forced him to make the transfer of funds? He doesnât need usâ Cal could have done that for him. Why keep Cal in a prison all this time? All Sligo has ever done is lie to us, what makes either of you think this time is any different?â
The glass coffee table cracked as Winter thumped it with her fist.
âSligoâs up to something far more sinister!â she said, her clenched fist trembling. âWe have to find Cal before the night of the auction. We have to find him now. His lifeâand who knows what elseâdepends on it.â
DAY 13
18 days to go â¦
Winter, Ryan and I spent most of the night trying to figure out what Sligo was really up to and arguing about whether or not to go to the cops.
But involving anyone else just seemed too risky â¦
We were on our own.
Afterwards, Iâd drifted in and out of sleep, and in and out of nightmares. Iâd been vaguely aware of Ryan creeping out of the living room to go home, but it was an incoming message on my phone that finally woke me up.
It was from Amy.
boges, i ran your trace evidence. you are one mysterious dude ⦠check your email.
I leapt over the cracked coffee table and ran to Winterâs desk. I jumped on my laptop and opened my inbox.
Sure enough, there was Amyâs email.
I could hardly believe my eyes when I read the fourth location. My jaw dropped, my heart knocked at my ribs.
âWinter! Get over here now and take a look at this!â
Winter skidded up behind me, her white socks slipping on the tiles. I scooted my chair out of the way so she could read the email.
There was long moment of shocked silence. Then came Winterâs elated voice. â Coffin Bay! â she shrieked.
âThatâs what Cal was trying to tell us,â I said. I began looking up the location on my phoneâs
Jack Lacey
Neil Gaiman
Nicola Claire
Zac Harrison
C.t. Adams . Cathy Clamp
Iris Jones Simantel
Juliet Gael
Susan Hertog
Robert D. Kaplan
Isabel Wolff