Jake caught his breath. He breathed out calmly, before he said, ‘He’s going to spend a night in a prison cell – so what? He’ll get over it, it’s no big deal.’
Silence.
‘Faye?’
‘Jake, go get him in the morning. Then tell me it’s no big deal.’
‘Why? Did something happen?’
Chapter 22
Jake sat in the car, watching the digital clock on the dashboard counting down to Marcus’s release. He hadn’t pre-booked accommodation for his trip. His intention was just to book in somewhere on arrival. He hadn’t envisaged spending his first night at an airport hotel.
A police car drifted slowly passed Jake’s hire car and parked in the police station car park; two police officers emerged and escorted an uncooperative youth into the building after he had livened things up by attempting an unsuccessful escape.
Every now and then, Jake glanced at the building, waiting for Marcus to emerge. He was doing this for Faye, he reminded himself, not for Marcus. Jake glanced out of the window yet again.
There was no sign of Marcus.
The clock was ticking. Where was he?
Jake got out of the car.
He went back over the conversation he’d had with Faye the previous day while he was waiting to pick up the hire car. Something she’d said … he couldn’t recall, but he had that feeling that something was wrong.
Jake stepped into the police station. He approached the frontdesk, aware that they could quite conceivably throw him in a cell for twenty-four hours for wasting police time if it turned out Marcus had nothing in his luggage. He knew that he deserved it for pulling such a stunt.
The desk sergeant looked up. ‘Can I help you?’
Jake hesitated. He was meant to be on holiday; he did not want to find himself banged up just because he had childishly decided to get his own back on Marcus. Jake was half-inclined to turn around and walk right out of the door. Once again, he had to remind himself he was doing this for Faye. She was right; he’d been a bit heavy-handed with Marcus. Nevertheless, Jake hoped he’d learnt his lesson. Now the least he could do was pick him up and drive him to the airport.
‘I’ve come to collect Marcus Ross. I understand he was due to be released at 9 am.’ Jake didn’t feel inclined to give his name.
‘You need to take the lift to the next floor.’ The desk sergeant waved at the lift.
‘Can I take the stairs?’
Jake stepped out of the lift on the first floor, wishing he could get over his fear of enclosed spaces. He approached another officer behind a desk in a similar reception room, except that this one had a row of grey plastic seats along one wall and posters carrying phone numbers to Childline and Citizens Advice, and others advising people to lock their valuables in their cars, out of sight. Jake thought of his bag plonked on the back seat in plain view.
‘Mr Marcus Ross,’ the officer said to himself as he leafed through some paperwork on the top of his desk. ‘Is that with acor ak?’
‘Ac.’ Jake wondered how many Marcus Rosses they had locked up in there. Certainly no others who were stupid enough to take illegal drugs through airport security – if that’s what he’d done.
The officer got up from his seat to look for the paperwork. He returned with a release form. ‘Yes, here we are. Marcus Ross,’ he read from the arrest sheet. ‘Arrested for carrying illegal substances through airport security. None were found on his person, or in his luggage, once we received it from the airport.’
Jake frowned. Although he was actually relieved that Marcus wouldn’t be charged, it did make him wonder if he’d made a huge mistake. Maybe Marcus wasn’t taking drugs at all. Maybe he had not deserved a night in a prison cell.
The police office was still reading the paperwork. ‘Interesting. He made two phone calls.’
Jake looked at him. ‘I thought he just rang Faye. Um, I mean Ms Ames.’
‘Yes, but there was one other person. We hadn’t got hold of his luggage at that point, so thought this person might be his dealer, although he was adamant that the person was no such thing. But as a precaution, we ran the name through.’
‘What name?’ Jake asked, interested to find out who else Marcus had contacted for help.
‘Aubrey Jones.’
Of course he’d go to Aubrey, rather than William, if he was in trouble, Jake thought.
