Ashdown’s business was going through a tough period and he appeared to have multiple mortgages. He could certainly do with an injection of cash though that wasn’t unique in the current economic climate. Miller wasn’t seeing anything truly suspicious but he would order further checks. They needed to dig deeper. Although it took a huge stretch of the imagination to think Ashdown might have arranged the attempt to kidnap Melanie Adams and then saved her. Perhaps he’d had a change of heart when he saw how Maguire and Murphy were treating her and intervened. Miller liked a good mystery but he did feel this was probably beyond anyone’s imagination.
His phone rang and he listened intently for several minutes before thanking the caller for the news. So Connor was no longer in Brighton. He’d been on the early train to London. Why hadn’t the local police covered the station? Perhaps they did and he slipped by somehow. His caller had revealed that someone called Simon Sharpe had telephoned 999 to say that he and his friend had met Connor in a bar in Brighton and travelled with him as far as Haywards Heath, where they lived and had left the train. They had recognized his photo on the news and called in as good citizens. Miller was grateful for their call. It meant they could concentrate their resources back on London, rather than Brighton. As long as they were telling the truth. A local Chief Inspector by the name of Parkin was on his way to interview them. He should be able to tell if they were concocting any form of smoke screen to help hide Connor’s true location.
In truth Miller doubted they would learn anything from Parkin’s meeting but he was an optimist by nature. The glass was always half full not half empty. It was probable that Connor had simply used the Sharpe guy and his friend to help avoid detection at Brighton station. The police would have been looking for one man not three. Clever of him. Miller wondered when they were ever going to get a break in this case.
When Melanie had asked if there was a good hotel close by where she could stay, Tom had suggested the Hilton on the seafront. She announced she would take up residence immediately and called the hotel to check they had a suite available. She then sent to London for her things. He very much liked the idea of her being so close to home and he certainly wasn’t going to ask Melanie to stay at his hotel. He had started to harbour some real hope that she might actually be interested in seeing him longer term but as a betting man wasn’t getting too carried away. The odds were still stacked heavily against that happening.
They had visited the hospital and found Liz at Colin’s bed side. She announced that there was no change in his condition, which Tom had learned to treat as positive news. The Doctor had been clear that every hour that passed without problem increased Colin’s chances of survival. Tom observed Colin was connected to a machine showing his heart beating regularly and a drip feeding into his arm. To Tom’s untrained eye Colin looked like he was just enjoying a deep and peaceful sleep. Tom went to the side of the bed and delivered a silent message encouraging him to keep fighting and get well soon.
Liz accepted Melanie’s suggestion she should take a break and go for some coffee. Tom noticed that unlike almost everyone else over the last few days, Liz didn’t seem at all overawed by Melanie’s presence. What did surprise Tom was that Melanie said she was going with Liz and that Tom could keep an eye on Colin. Tom was once again impressed how easily Melanie could relate to people despite her superstar status. She knew Liz didn’t really like him and was taking her off for what would undoubtedly be some words of encouragement and a female shoulder to cry on, if required.
They had gone from the hospital straight back to the Hilton where Melanie suggested ordering some lunch from room service and Tom was looking at the menu when he felt his mobile vibrate. It was a withheld number which made him wonder if perhaps it was news from the hospital.
“Tom Ashdown,” he answered.
“Hello Mister Ashdown, this is Commander Miller at the Met. I’m in charge of anti-terrorist operations. I’m sorry to trouble you but I was wondering if I could meet with you?”
“Is it important? Only I wasn’t really planning on being in London again at the moment. I’d like to stay close to my brother.”
“I quite understand. I was thinking of paying you a visit down there. Would later this afternoon be possible?”
“I’m just about to have a late lunch here at the Hilton with Melanie Adams so basically any time after three would be okay.”
Tom detected the slight pause while Miller digested the information that Melanie Adams was in Brighton with him. “Well if I leave now I should be there about three thirty,” he said pleasantly. “Do you have a room at the hotel where we can meet privately?”
“Melanie does and I’m sure she would also like to find out what’s happening. She’s in the Seafront suite, so give us a call when you are near.”
“Good, I’ll see you later then.”
As Tom turned back to Melanie he could see an expectant look on her face. “That was a Commander Miller,” he explained. “He’s in charge of anti-terrorism and he wants to meet us. He’ll be here about three thirty so that just gives us time for some food.”
Melanie gave him a slightly quizzical look. “Are you really desperate for food only I had a better idea for how to spend the time?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
