Everybody Knows by Karen Dodd

Author:Karen Dodd [Dodd, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Karen Dodd

Chapter Eighteen

“How are you feeling?” Mifsud asked as Nico gingerly lowered himself into the passenger seat of the unmarked police vehicle. He winced as he did up his seat belt. And thought about his bruised kidney.

“Not like running a marathon, that’s for sure. But I’m doing better, thank you.”

Mifsud looked at him with a raised eyebrow, then pulled out into traffic.

“So here’s what we know,” he said. “A confidential informant has told us that in the past few days, there’s been people coming and going at a disused vineyard in Ta Qali. It’s about ten minutes from here.”

Like Tropea, Nico thought, in Valletta, nothing is very far from anything. “Do you think it’s a credible tip?”

The inspector shook his head. “One can never be sure, but we can’t afford to ignore it. He recognized the vehicle of one of the men he saw entering the property. Then, after watching it for a day or two, he saw a woman being driven in by another man, and neither of them came out again.”

“Did the woman fit Francesca’s description?” Nico asked.

“We showed him her photograph, but he couldn’t say with any certainty. Just that it was unusual to see people coming or going from the property.”

Puzzled, Nico looked over at Mifsud. “I know. It’s tenuous at best. Though he won’t admit to it, we’re fairly certain our informant has been using the property.”

“You mean living there?”

Mifsud laughed. “Not exactly. I suspect if we did a flyover, we’d see a sizeable marijuana crop in among the old grapevines. I don’t know why we don’t just legalize the damned stuff, it’s not as if—.” He tapped the communications feed in his ear. “Excuse me.”

Mifsud listened, then punched a button on the dash. “There’s been a positive sighting. It could be Sinjorina Bruno.”

Sirens wailed and lights flashed, transforming the unmarked car into an official police vehicle. The previously mild-mannered inspector floored the gas, and they sped down the highway, flying past signs so fast they all melded into a blur. By Nico’s estimation, they’d gone about twelve kilometers when Mifsud turned onto a gravel road. Without decreasing speed, he expertly swerved around potholes and ruts in the road. The car flew momentarily as it hit a mammoth bump, then bottomed out in a hollow on the other side. Nico clenched his teeth and hung on to the hand rest each time, trying to minimize the pain to his ribs.

“Sorry,” Mifsud said. Nico just nodded and hoped they were close to their destination.

A dilapidated wooden structure came into view, which Nico thought might have been a barn or possibly a farmhouse in better days. Mifsud killed the siren and came to a screeching halt on a makeshift driveway. Judging by the flattened weeds and bushes, someone had used the access recently.

Mifsud pulled his firearm from its holster and opened the car door. “Stay in the car until backup arrives. They have our location.”

No worries, pal. I think the siren and lights might have tipped off the bad guys, anyway.

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