courting the outer edge of a fine spray mist and using it as an antidote to the morning sun that was already very hot.
‘There he is,' said Kathleen.
Avedissian looked and saw Jarvis walking towards them on the broad path that led up from the gate. 'About time too,’ he muttered.
'I'm sorry I'm late,’ said Jarvis. 'I had to make new arrangements.'
'About what?'
'About everything. The kidnappers contacted Innes early this morning and told him that the boy will not be handed over here in Chicago.’
‘Then where?'
'Kansas City.'
'Why the change?' asked Kathleen.
'Maybe something spooked them at the stadium or maybe it's just a last minute change of venue to stop anyone planning a sophisticated double-cross. Now there won't be time. The exchange will be made tonight.’
'So we go to Kansas City?'
'It's no big deal,’ said Jarvis. 'I've booked your flight and hotel. Here are your tickets.’
'How long will it take?' asked Kathleen.
'About an hour.’
'Do we all travel together?' asked Avedissian.
'I'm going first, you two travel later this afternoon. I'll contact you when you arrive.’
'Do you know where Innes is staying in Kansas City?' asked Kathleen.
The kidnappers told him to check in at the Plaza Hotel. Our team plan to get there first. The room should be bugged by the time I get there. Why do you ask?'
'No reason,’ replied Kathleen. 'Good luck.’
'The same to you. See you later.’
They watched Jarvis leave the park and hail a cab then Kathleen turned to Avedissian and said, 'Do you realise that by this time tomorrow it could all be over?'
'A nice thought,’ replied Avedissian. On impulse he stopped at a flower seller and bought a single red rose to give to Kathleen. She smiled and said, 'Another nice thought.’
EIGHT
Avedissian looked down at the great flat expanse of the mid-western United States and said to Kathleen, 'America's heartland.’
'Dorothy lived down there,’ said Kathleen.
'Pardon?'
'The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy lived in Kansas.’
'Of course, how stupid of me,’ replied Avedissian with mild sarcasm that made Kathleen smile. 'It was my favourite story when I was a child,’ she said. 'An aunt gave the book to me one Christmas and it made a lasting impression.’
'With me it was 'The Billy Goats Gruff',’ said Avedissian.
'What an admission,’ said Kathleen.
The sun was shining brightly when their plane swept into Kansas City International Airport but the weather did not feel as nice as it looked when they got down on the tarmac and felt the high humidity. Kathleen saw Avedissian run his finger round the inside of his collar and agreed. 'It's sticky,’ she said.
Arriving as they had on an internal domestic flight they were through with airport procedure in a matter of moments and on their way into Kansas City by cab.
'You folks here for the convention?' asked the driver.
'Yes,’ replied Avedissian, not sure of what he was agreeing to but feeling that it might be the safest answer.
'You both doctors?'
So it was a medical convention, thought Avedissian, how fortunate.
'Just me,' he replied.
'You guys have cost me a fortune over the years and I've still got my bad back,' complained the driver over his right shoulder.
'Backs can be a problem,' agreed Avedissian unhelpfully.
‘That sign back there said 'Missouri',' said Kathleen, changing the subject.
'Yes ma'am, Kansas City is half in Kansas, half in Missouri. Your hotel is in Missouri.'
The wail of a police car siren proclaimed their arrival in the city. An eruption of concrete into the sky confirmed it.
'Not many people about,' said Kathleen for the streets were practically deserted.
'Not many shops either,’ said Avedissian.
'Folks moved out into the suburbs a long time ago,' said the driver. The shops went with them. Theatres, movie houses too. Nobody lives in town any more. Folks drive in the morning and home again in the evening, no call for them to linger.'
Avedissian and Kathleen accepted the explanation in silence and found something depressing about the place. Kansas City looked as if some dreadful plague had destroyed all the inhabitants and left a series of towering concrete tombstones to their memory.
'Crown Center,' announced the driver, slowing and turning off the road along a drive lined with the flags of all nations. They hung limp and lifeless in the still, humid air.
Four miles to the south, in the Plaza Hotel, Innes and Roker waited for the kidnappers to contact them. Relations between them had been at a low ebb since the events at the stadium in Chicago. They were still arguing about it.
'We could have had the boy by now if you hadn't been so damned stupid!' said Innes.
'We had to try,’ insisted Roker. 'It's our money! Don't forget it.'
‘I’m hardly likely to. All you succeeded in doing was to let them know that we can't be trusted.'
'We don't know for sure that they knew we were going to try for the boy in the stadium,’ said Roker.
'Of course they knew!' said Innes. They were watching us all the time. They must have been watching the zone round the empty seats too. They would have seen Shelby and these other two clowns as soon as they moved anywhere near!'
'We had to try,’ repeated Roker.
'I just hope you've learned your lesson,’ said Innes. 'Play it straight from now on or you'll blow the whole deal.’
'Don't lecture me, Innes!' said Roker angrily. 'If there's any more crap out of you I'm going to pull NORAID out of this whole damned thing! I never liked it from the start. In fact, if you ask me, that little bastard Kell is some kind of nut!'
Innes could see that he might have pushed the American too far. Whatever his personal feelings of frustration, he had to recognise that NORAID were the source of the money. Antagonising them was going to be counter-productive. In fact, if he personally wrecked Kell's plan by pushing Roker past the limit it was going to get him less than nowhere; it was going to get him dead.
The thought of Kell's wrath introduced an immediate note of conciliation to Innes's voice. 'I apologise,’ he said quietly. 'We are all a bit edgy over this thing; it's so important to all of us. After all these years we're standing on the very verge of success and a free Ireland.’
Roker appeared to calm down too and they sat in silence for a moment before the telephone rang. It was the kidnappers.
'Do you have the first password?'
'One moment.' Innes turned to Roker and said, They want the password.'
