Gladiatrix by Rhonda Roberts Page B

Australian case.’
    â€˜Answer my question, Des. Why did they close the case?’
    He said, bitterly, ‘Scott didn’t know. They wouldn’t go into any detail. He said the press had been onto them again and, as a courtesy to Marshal Dupree, they were keeping their mouths shut.’
    I just sat there. ‘That was the news?’
    â€˜Kannon, like I said, they didn’t have a body so this could just be them trying to keep Marshal Dupree out of the spotlight. So don’t …’
    â€˜Yeah, yeah, Des.’ I stared at the photo on the pin board. ‘No-one’s making any decisions for me. Ifthere’s still a possibility of a connection, then I’m following it until I’m satisfied one way or another.’
    Silence.
    â€˜Good.’ He was surprised.
    â€˜Was that it?’ I wanted to try the other StopWatch numbers.
    â€˜No, after that Scott tried one of his old political contacts. Sacramento’s the state capital, and he had contacts in the Governor’s office back then. One of them now works for a senator in Washington. Once the San Francisco PD stuff didn’t pan out his Washington friend tried to find a way to contact Victoria Dupree directly. He rang the NTA headquarters in Washington and they directed him on to the San Francisco branch where she works. Where the portal is.’ He paused. ‘He spoke to someone there who said it was impossible to contact Victoria at the moment. That she’s still in ancient Rome on that Isis investigation.’
    â€˜She’s still there?’ That wasn’t good. ‘For how much longer? Do they know when she’s coming back?’
    â€˜Yeah. Turay said she’s due back the day after tomorrow, but only for a quick meeting with the Governor. Then she’s expected to leave again for the last stage of the mission.’
    I mindlessly repeated, ‘The day after tomorrow,’ now staring at the StopWatch screen. Snelling’s article. One in three don’t return. This was all moving almost too fast for me to process. I’d only found out about her yesterday, and today Victoria’s every move was starting to catch my breath.
    â€˜Kannon, are you okay?’
    I’d never been good at waiting. And I still had my passport from the time I’d tried to fly to Crete.
    â€˜Great, Des. Never felt better. I’m getting on my first plane tomorrow.’
    Silence.
    â€˜That tone of voice scares me, Kannon.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜You use it whenever you’re about to be young and stupid.’
    â€˜I have to go, Des. I have to talk to her. You realise that, don’t you?’ This was not a good time for his overactive protective instinct to kick in. I didn’t want to leave him both sick and anxious.
    â€˜Yes,’ he said, begrudgingly. ‘You’re right. But just remember …’
    â€˜I know, Des.’ We’d had this conversation before. ‘I’m not invincible.’

6
SAN FRANCISCO
    We hit California somewhere above LA and turned north. I felt like cheering, but it would’ve scared the insides out of the man next to me. He’d been friendly enough until he’d sneaked a look at the files I’d left on my seat while I was in the toilet. Then he’d tried to change seats. My guess was he’d seen the photo of the noose and the scars. I didn’t feel like explaining anything to someone who went through my stuff, so we didn’t talk.
    It didn’t worry me. This was my first-ever flight and I’d managed to get on the plane and stay there, white knuckles and all.
    It’d been gruelling waiting in the airport. I wouldn’t let Des come, he’d had too much stress already without watching me descend into breathless sweating terror. The jitters had started as I was telling Antoinette about Ledbetter and what to do if the college called. By boarding time a full-blown panic attack was