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Authors: Neal Martin
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said, confirming what Edger now knew.
Confusion set in. "What does he have to do with me? I don't even know him."
Before the kidnapper could answer, the bad feeling that Edger had became a bad thought, a thought that was crazy, but which made some kind of sense at the same time. There could only be one reason why someone would kidnap his daughter and then give him a picture of the Lord Mayor. Edger prayed he was wrong as he waited for the kidnapper to answer.
"You're going to kill him."
Edger gripped the phone tighter. Gritted his teeth as he lapsed into silence.
"You there, Harry?"
Barely able to bring himself to speak, Edger said, "Yes."
"Good. You need to listen carefully. You're going to kill the beloved mayor of this city, Harry, and you are going to get it done within the next twenty-four hours. It doesn't matter how you kill him, as long as you do. If you fail to kill him within the twenty-four hour time period, I will start cutting pieces from your daughter and send them to you. I can get a lot of pieces from one person before they die, believe me. I will keep sending you pieces of your daughter until McGinty is dead. Do you understand?"
Edger swallowed hard, fighting down the nausea that was rising in him. "Why me?" he asked. "What does any of this have to do with me or my daughter?"
"Your daughter is just leverage to ensure you do as I ask," the kidnapper said. "But rest assured, this has everything to do with you, Harry."
"I don't even fucking know you!"
"You will. Soon. And Harry?"
"What?"
"No police."
"It's a bit late for that. They arrived at the cafe when you took my daughter."
"That's your problem. If I suspect you've involved them, I'll cut off little Kaitlin's fingers, and I'm sure you don't want that."
"You'll never get away with this, you know," Edger said, although he knew the person on the other end of the phone had already gotten away with it. He had Edger's daughter. That put him in the driver's seat, and Edger in the back, forced to go along for the ride.
"Twenty-four hours, Harry. Your time starts now. Call me on this phone when you're done."
The line went dead and Edger stared at the phone in his hand. Then his eyes drifted to the picture on the coffee table, of the smiling Lord Mayor, his gold livery hanging around his neck like some sort of magic talisman that was supposed to protect him from danger. "Why you?" Edger said to the photograph. "Why me?"
He looked at his watch: 1:55 p.m.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast had to be dead by this time tomorrow, or else Kaitlin was going to suffer the consequences. Edger had no doubt the kidnapper was serious about his threat to cut off Kaitlin's fingers, which twisted Edger up inside.
He now had a choice: do as the kidnapper asked, or don't do as he asked and allow Kaitlin to suffer the consequences.
Not much of a choice.
Kaitlin was innocent in all this. She didn't deserve to pay for his past mistakes, whatever the hell they might be. The kidnapper was convinced that Edger was getting what was coming to him. There was no doubt of that, otherwise why go to all this trouble? There was a chance that the kidnapper's actions where politically motivated, given that he wanted the Lord Mayor of Belfast assassinated, but what would anyone have to gain by doing that? It was the Lord Mayor, a figurehead. He wasn't a major player. If this was political, why not target the First Minister instead? Surely that would make more of a statement? Unless this was a personal vendetta against Brian McGinty himself, and not the figure of the Lord Mayor. And why chose Edger to do this assassination? Sure, he had military training, extensive experience as a soldier. But he wasn't the only military man in Belfast. He was sure there were others, probably better qualified than him to carry out this madness.
It looked like the kidnapper was telling the truth. This did have everything to do with Edger. This was all personal.
But why get him to kill someone? Especially
Confusion set in. "What does he have to do with me? I don't even know him."
Before the kidnapper could answer, the bad feeling that Edger had became a bad thought, a thought that was crazy, but which made some kind of sense at the same time. There could only be one reason why someone would kidnap his daughter and then give him a picture of the Lord Mayor. Edger prayed he was wrong as he waited for the kidnapper to answer.
"You're going to kill him."
Edger gripped the phone tighter. Gritted his teeth as he lapsed into silence.
"You there, Harry?"
Barely able to bring himself to speak, Edger said, "Yes."
"Good. You need to listen carefully. You're going to kill the beloved mayor of this city, Harry, and you are going to get it done within the next twenty-four hours. It doesn't matter how you kill him, as long as you do. If you fail to kill him within the twenty-four hour time period, I will start cutting pieces from your daughter and send them to you. I can get a lot of pieces from one person before they die, believe me. I will keep sending you pieces of your daughter until McGinty is dead. Do you understand?"
Edger swallowed hard, fighting down the nausea that was rising in him. "Why me?" he asked. "What does any of this have to do with me or my daughter?"
"Your daughter is just leverage to ensure you do as I ask," the kidnapper said. "But rest assured, this has everything to do with you, Harry."
"I don't even fucking know you!"
"You will. Soon. And Harry?"
"What?"
"No police."
"It's a bit late for that. They arrived at the cafe when you took my daughter."
"That's your problem. If I suspect you've involved them, I'll cut off little Kaitlin's fingers, and I'm sure you don't want that."
"You'll never get away with this, you know," Edger said, although he knew the person on the other end of the phone had already gotten away with it. He had Edger's daughter. That put him in the driver's seat, and Edger in the back, forced to go along for the ride.
"Twenty-four hours, Harry. Your time starts now. Call me on this phone when you're done."
The line went dead and Edger stared at the phone in his hand. Then his eyes drifted to the picture on the coffee table, of the smiling Lord Mayor, his gold livery hanging around his neck like some sort of magic talisman that was supposed to protect him from danger. "Why you?" Edger said to the photograph. "Why me?"
He looked at his watch: 1:55 p.m.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast had to be dead by this time tomorrow, or else Kaitlin was going to suffer the consequences. Edger had no doubt the kidnapper was serious about his threat to cut off Kaitlin's fingers, which twisted Edger up inside.
He now had a choice: do as the kidnapper asked, or don't do as he asked and allow Kaitlin to suffer the consequences.
Not much of a choice.
Kaitlin was innocent in all this. She didn't deserve to pay for his past mistakes, whatever the hell they might be. The kidnapper was convinced that Edger was getting what was coming to him. There was no doubt of that, otherwise why go to all this trouble? There was a chance that the kidnapper's actions where politically motivated, given that he wanted the Lord Mayor of Belfast assassinated, but what would anyone have to gain by doing that? It was the Lord Mayor, a figurehead. He wasn't a major player. If this was political, why not target the First Minister instead? Surely that would make more of a statement? Unless this was a personal vendetta against Brian McGinty himself, and not the figure of the Lord Mayor. And why chose Edger to do this assassination? Sure, he had military training, extensive experience as a soldier. But he wasn't the only military man in Belfast. He was sure there were others, probably better qualified than him to carry out this madness.
It looked like the kidnapper was telling the truth. This did have everything to do with Edger. This was all personal.
But why get him to kill someone? Especially
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