Malick had seen his message, that was why his face was the way he was when he looked at it. Sarah must not have seen his message yet and now ‘The Agrarian’ knew that fact, as well as the one someone else knew who he was.
“Sarah!” Tyler shouted, but there was so much noise around that she didn’t come close to hearing him. He tried to break through the cordon but a burly police officer held him back;
“You have to warn Agent Brightwater, she's in danger!” he said, not wanting the other press to hear what he was saying. The officer looked over to where Sarah was and saw h she was now walking towards her car with her partner in tow.
“Danger from what?” he asked.
“Her partner, he’s a killer!”
“Her partner! Get out of here, jackass,” the cop said and he pushed Tyler away. Tyler flashed with anger but caught himself, he knew causing a scene here was not going to achieve his aim. He looked back to Sarah and saw her getting into her car and Malick getting in on the passenger side. He ran back to his car; if they were leaving he would be able to cut them off and tell Sarah.
When he got to his car, however, he saw with fury that this wasn't going to be the case. Another press van had turned up after him and had blocked in his car. There was no one in the driver’s seat and Tyler didn’t see them nearby.
“Shit!” he said, spinning round to see Sarah’s progress. There was another route for police and EMT only and they were getting away that way. There was no way he was going to be able to cover the distance in the time it would take them to leave. He had to try though, there was no other option.
Tyler ran as fast as he’d ever run towards the car, shouting and waving his hands as he went. He was thwarted once more as a police helicopter made an unwelcome appearance over the house and the din was enormous. He never got in the eye line of the front of the car and Sarah pulled off onto the rural road and was gone before he could do anything.
Tyler stood there looking after the car for only a moment as he decided what he had to do. That press van and his own car were in for a lot of damage, but one way or another he was getting his car free of its current prison.
As he got back to the car however something caught his eye and he cursed himself for not seeing it the first time. The key was still in the ignition of the van! He jumped in and turned it on and put the van in reverse, jumping out as soon as his car was clear and not caring in the least where the van went after that. He dived into his car and set off after Sarah. If he was right there was a very good chance she didn’t have much time left to live!
Chapter 47
“WHY DO WE NEED TO GO so soon?” Sarah asked Malick as they pulled out onto the rural road from the Spalding house.
“Spalding’s not here,” Malick said, “But I’ve managed to get us some info on the case we’re locked out of.” Sarah looked at him briefly and he was smiling at her, she turned back to the road.
“How?” she asked.
“Well, I don't have it yet, but I’ve arranged to meet someone who can tell us everything we want to know.”
“You arranged to meet in the middle of the night?” she asked.
“That wasn’t my idea, it was his,” Malick said. “Then this whole mess blew up and I wasn’t sure we were going to make it but I guess there’s nothing at the scene that won't still be there in the morning or that forensics don't pick up for us.”
“When were you going to tell me about this meeting?”
“Right before I got the call about this house.” Sarah glanced down at the monitor of her screen and then to the satnav on the dashboard.
“Where are we meeting?” she asked.
“Near your house,” he replied. “That was my idea, save you a long journey in the middle of the night- though at that time I thought you’d be at home and not miles away out here.”
“Typical,” Sarah smiled. “Well, I don’t need a map to get me home, Interstate here we come.” As she pressed down easily on the gas pedal, Sarah felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She had turned it on silent earlier on but she knew who it was calling and she also knew that she couldn't answer them right now.
After a while, Malick closed a report he’d been flicking through and said, conversationally,
“Is the car tracker on in here?” he glanced at the screen but it was angled towards Sarah. She had been expecting this question and she too glanced down at the screen.
“Yeah,” she said, “Why?”
“Would you mind turning it off? This guy is pretty jumpy about meeting us as it is and I don’t want there to be any trail to our meeting to worry him.”
“Cloak and dagger, eh?” she smiled at him and then leaning over flicked off the cars internal tracking system.
“He’ll give us everything if we play ball his way,” Malick said.
It was a long drive back to where Sarah lived but the time went fast.
“You know this ‘Agrarian’ case is really bugging me,” Sarah said.
“How so?” Malick asked, “Apart from the obvious,” he added.
“That’s just it, the obvious, why isn't there anything obvious in the entire case?”
“I’m not following you.” Malick looked at her with interest.
“It’s too perfect,” she replied.
“I’m sorry Sarah I’m still not following where you’re going with this.”
“I know that everyone knows all the forensics stuff they see on TV, but there’s more to it than
