he’s just trying to buy himself time to get away,’ Lopez replied. ‘By the time we’re finished decoding this, even if that’s
possible, Purcell could be clean out of the state.’
Ethan shook his head.
‘He could have been clean out of the state without doing
any
of this. He’s leaving us messages, leaving us a trail.’
‘Why leave anything?’ Lopez asked. ‘And why us? Why you? You’ve never met this guy. Surely if he’d wanted private detectives on his case he’d have contacted
someone in Florida instead, somebody nearby?’
Ethan nodded in agreement but could find nothing to say that could explain Charles Purcell’s bizarre actions.
‘My guess,’ Sears said, ‘is that he’s suffered some kind of mental breakdown and all of this is the result of his illness. Until I’m convinced otherwise, I’m
putting out an APB for this guy as a wanted murderer. We need him off the streets and in custody because we can’t risk the chance that he won’t hit some other family just like
he’s iced his own. Believe me, once these freaks really lose the plot, anyone and anything is fair game.’
Sears headed out of the lounge to leave the apartment. As Ethan turned to follow, his gaze settled on the mirror hanging on the wall opposite the window. He focused on the reflection of the room
around them and then a smile curled from the corner of his mouth.
‘Maybe Charles Purcell knows
exactly
what he’s doing.’
11
LOIZA, PUERTO RICO
June 28, 09:24
‘Do we know what happened to our aircraft.’
Joaquin Abell kept his voice down, not wanting his children to hear the news that Sandra had related to him.
‘We chartered a Grumman Mallard from Bimini Wings to bring home our staff from their work on the coral-conservation project in the Florida Straits. It went down late yesterday afternoon.
No mayday call from the pilots, radar contact was lost by Miami at seven twenty. Search and Rescue haven’t found a thing.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’ Joaquin stared at her.
‘I was waiting for confirmation from the coastguard before I broke the news,’ Sandra said. ‘I didn’t want to bring this to you until I was sure.’
Joaquin massaged his temples, his eyes closed. ‘How many people were aboard?’
‘Nineteen, including the two pilots.’
‘Jesus,’ Joaquin whispered, ‘the poor families. Get in touch with all of them, I’ll want to speak to them in person and reassure them that we’ll stand by them. IRIS
is a family, Sandra, and I want them to know that they’re members too.’ Sandra nodded and jotted down notes as Joaquin spoke. ‘Then contact the families’ litigation teams
and let them know that appropriate compensation will be provided, regardless of whether IRIS is considered legally responsible for the loss of life, understood?’
Sandra finished scribbling and looked up at him, a flourish of admiration on her features.
‘Absolutely, sir. I’ll get on it right away. At least it seems there may be a survivor from the conservation project, that’s something that we can take away from this
tragedy.’
Joaquin’s eyes fixed on hers. ‘Who?’
‘Charles Purcell, one of our lead scientists. His name was absent from the aircraft’s departure roster at South Bimini. He can’t have been aboard.’
‘Excellent news, Sandra. See if you can find Charles and let me know the moment that you do.’
Joaquin watched as Sandra dashed away, and then walked across to his wife. Katherine was now accompanied by a short, pale-looking man with baleful eyes that peered out from behind thin glasses.
Dennis Aubrey was a lifelong friend of Katherine, a physicist who had attended the University of Florida as she had. Just as she had grown to become a powerful lawyer, so Aubrey had grown alongside
her from a shy, plump little boy into a physics genius, sought after by some of the most prestigious laboratories and universities in the continental United States. Joaquin had recently
possible, Purcell could be clean out of the state.’
Ethan shook his head.
‘He could have been clean out of the state without doing
any
of this. He’s leaving us messages, leaving us a trail.’
‘Why leave anything?’ Lopez asked. ‘And why us? Why you? You’ve never met this guy. Surely if he’d wanted private detectives on his case he’d have contacted
someone in Florida instead, somebody nearby?’
Ethan nodded in agreement but could find nothing to say that could explain Charles Purcell’s bizarre actions.
‘My guess,’ Sears said, ‘is that he’s suffered some kind of mental breakdown and all of this is the result of his illness. Until I’m convinced otherwise, I’m
putting out an APB for this guy as a wanted murderer. We need him off the streets and in custody because we can’t risk the chance that he won’t hit some other family just like
he’s iced his own. Believe me, once these freaks really lose the plot, anyone and anything is fair game.’
Sears headed out of the lounge to leave the apartment. As Ethan turned to follow, his gaze settled on the mirror hanging on the wall opposite the window. He focused on the reflection of the room
around them and then a smile curled from the corner of his mouth.
‘Maybe Charles Purcell knows
exactly
what he’s doing.’
11
LOIZA, PUERTO RICO
June 28, 09:24
‘Do we know what happened to our aircraft.’
Joaquin Abell kept his voice down, not wanting his children to hear the news that Sandra had related to him.
‘We chartered a Grumman Mallard from Bimini Wings to bring home our staff from their work on the coral-conservation project in the Florida Straits. It went down late yesterday afternoon.
No mayday call from the pilots, radar contact was lost by Miami at seven twenty. Search and Rescue haven’t found a thing.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’ Joaquin stared at her.
‘I was waiting for confirmation from the coastguard before I broke the news,’ Sandra said. ‘I didn’t want to bring this to you until I was sure.’
Joaquin massaged his temples, his eyes closed. ‘How many people were aboard?’
‘Nineteen, including the two pilots.’
‘Jesus,’ Joaquin whispered, ‘the poor families. Get in touch with all of them, I’ll want to speak to them in person and reassure them that we’ll stand by them. IRIS
is a family, Sandra, and I want them to know that they’re members too.’ Sandra nodded and jotted down notes as Joaquin spoke. ‘Then contact the families’ litigation teams
and let them know that appropriate compensation will be provided, regardless of whether IRIS is considered legally responsible for the loss of life, understood?’
Sandra finished scribbling and looked up at him, a flourish of admiration on her features.
‘Absolutely, sir. I’ll get on it right away. At least it seems there may be a survivor from the conservation project, that’s something that we can take away from this
tragedy.’
Joaquin’s eyes fixed on hers. ‘Who?’
‘Charles Purcell, one of our lead scientists. His name was absent from the aircraft’s departure roster at South Bimini. He can’t have been aboard.’
‘Excellent news, Sandra. See if you can find Charles and let me know the moment that you do.’
Joaquin watched as Sandra dashed away, and then walked across to his wife. Katherine was now accompanied by a short, pale-looking man with baleful eyes that peered out from behind thin glasses.
Dennis Aubrey was a lifelong friend of Katherine, a physicist who had attended the University of Florida as she had. Just as she had grown to become a powerful lawyer, so Aubrey had grown alongside
her from a shy, plump little boy into a physics genius, sought after by some of the most prestigious laboratories and universities in the continental United States. Joaquin had recently
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