Indigo- The Complete Series, page 51
part #1 of Indigo Series
“Of course, you have. Now get in that line before it gets any longer. My passport has an e-chip so I can go through faster. Now go,” he said with a quick kiss. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
Lucy joined her fellow passengers and step by step made her way through the line. It was noisy and far too warm in here. Most everyone wore the same expression of fatigue and boredom as they waited for their turn. To pass the time, she considered several posters on the wall with UK customs information. She snorted when she read one sign:
It is now ILLEGAL to bring zombie knives into the country. Zombie knives?
“Next!” A shrill voice beckoned her forward.
Lucy approached the window of a pudgy, short, middle-aged female Border Force officer with bleary eyes and frizzy, dyed blonde hair, who looked like she hadn’t smiled in at least a decade. The badge she wore on her uniform said, Ruth Smith.
“Passport, please,” Ruth grumbled.
“Oh, sorry,” Lucy replied, handing the agent her passport.
Ruth opened the passport, and asked, “Where’s your landing card?”
“My what?” Lucy frowned.
Ruth rolled her eyes skyward as if praying for patience. “All passengers are required to fill out a landing card before you leave the plane.” She stared at Lucy, waiting for a reply.
“Um…just a second,” Lucy said, rummaging through her purse. “Ah, here it is,” she said, pulling out a folded piece of paper. “I was distracted by my boyfriend. Give me a minute—” Lucy put her things down and filled out the form as fast as she could, then handed it to Ruth.
Ruth squinted at the form and put it aside. “May I see your travel documents, Miss?”
“My ticket?”
Ruth’s lips tightened into a hard line. “Yes. Your ticket.”
“Here you are,” Lucy said, handing her ticket to Ruth.
While Ruth looked back and forth between the documents, Lucy glanced at the line next to her and laughed when she noticed a toothless baby girl grinning at her. “Hi,” Lucy said, waving. The baby girl jiggled her arms and legs as she laughed. The baby’s mother looked up and smiled. Lucy stepped out of line to say, “She’s adorable. How old is she?”
“Ms. Bianchi,” Ruth barked. “Please get back in line.”
Lucy made a face at the baby and returned to her place at the window. Ruth was red-faced with anger. “Is this a joke to you?”
“Uh, no.” Lucy gestured to the baby with her thumb. “I was only saying hello. I’m sorry if I—”
Ruth held up her passport and airline ticket. “Do you know there is a name discrepancy between your passport and your ticket?”
Lucy’s brow furrowed. “I don’t think so.”
Ruth shoved the passport to Lucy and said, “Your passport says your name is Lucia Angela Bianchi. Is that your legal name?”
“Yes, it is,” she replied.
Ruth picked up Lucy’s airline ticket and waved it in front of her, saying, “Your British Airways ticket says your name is Lucy Bianchi.”
“That’s correct. My name is Lucy Bianchi.” This questioning was a bit excessive. “Isn’t it obvious that Lucy is the informal name for Lucia?”
Ruth shoved both documents in front of Lucy and said, “Your name should be consistent on all travel documents.” Ruth jabbed a finger on each name for effect. “In the future, any airline ticket should be purchased using the exact name on your passport.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.” She wanted to openly object to the sheer ridiculousness of this inquisition, but that would only make this overzealous border agent even angrier. Most of the other passengers had sailed through their line, so she decided to keep her comments to herself. The sooner she was finished with this nonsense, the sooner she would be with Justin again.
Ruth studied her passport with interest. “You’ve traveled to Greece from London?”
“Yes.” Lucy kept eye contact with Ruth because she didn’t want to appear evasive.
The officer looked at her sharply. “And what is your purpose for being in the United Kingdom?”
“I traveled to London on business from the United States.”
“And you took a side trip to Greece?” Ruth questioned with a sharp look.
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“No. I need to be clear about your movements while in the UK.” The officer flipped the pages of her passport and handed it back to Lucy. Ruth peered down at her and asked, “Where’s your luggage?”
“Just a carry-on.” Lucy lifted the bag on her shoulder. “I left most of my luggage at the hotel when I went to Greece.”
Ruth frowned and scanned Lucy’s face, her scrutiny like a human lie-detector. “Do you have anything to declare?” Ruth finally asked.
“No.” Lucy patted her bag.
“All right, Ms. Bianchi,” said Ruth, handing Lucy her passport. “Please move along to customs. Go through the door that says ‘Nothing to Declare.’”
“Thank you,” Lucy said, taking her passport. She walked through the doors and grinned when she saw Justin waiting for her.
“What took you so long?” he asked, taking the carry-on out of her hand.
As they made their way down the corridor, they walked past baggage claim and went directly to customs. “Grr. I had a frustrating experience with the most dedicated Border Patrol officer I’ve ever met.”
“What happened?” Justin asked, glancing down at her as they walked.
“It’s not important,” Lucy said, putting her arm through his. “One more stop and we’re out of here.”
They arrived at the customs area, and Justin guided her to the ‘Customs Nothing to Declare’ door. The area was filled with throngs of people talking and shouting in a multitude of languages. The moving and shoving around them was overwhelming as crowds of travelers maneuvered around each other. The bright overhead lights were even more glaring because they reflected light from the slick, white polished floors. They were a long way from the privacy of their Greek villa.
“Let’s go,” he said, leading her through a blue door. “It’s this way.”
Once they were inside, they joined another long line.
“Almost there,” Justin said, squeezing her hand. “Do you want to go out to dinner tonight?” he whispered in her ear.
“I believe I was promised an exclusive tour of your flat,” Lucy whispered back. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar frizzy blonde woman talking with a short, bald customs agent. “Oh, no,” she groaned. “Not Ruth again.”
Justin frowned. “Who’s Ruth?”
“She’s the obsessive agent from passport control.” Ruth wasn’t pointing at her, but Lucy suspected she was the topic of their discussion. Ruth nodded and patted the man on the arm before stomping away to speak to someone else.
The bald man approached and said, “Good morning, sir. Madam. Welcome to London.” He was courteous, but not friendly.
“Good morning,” Lucy replied, giving him a wan smile.
“May I have a look in your bags?” he asked politely, guiding them to a nearby table.
Justin shoved his satchel at the man and waited, clenching his jaw as the man did a brief search through his bag.
“Very good, sir. You’re free to leave. Please continue to the exit.”
“I’ll wait here if you don’t mind,” Justin said in a barely civilized tone.
“Sir, you may wait for the young lady over there,” he said, pointing to the exit doors.
Justin walked away, keeping his eyes on Lucy.
The man unzipped her carry-on and methodically moved the contents around as he moved down to the bottom of the bag. Only a few other people were having their bags inspected. It must be a random inspection. Lucy looked to the end of the line to see if she could spot Justin.
She returned her attention to the officer as he unzipped one of the side pockets of her bag. He felt around and zipped it back up and then unzipped the other one. He fumbled around and then pulled out something in bubble wrap.
“What’s this?” the officer asked, holding up a plastic-wrapped object.
“I have no idea,” she replied. She had only packed the center of the carry-on. Anxiety crept up her spine and radiated through her body.
“Did you pack your own bag?”
“Yes. But I didn’t pack that.”
“Do you mind if I remove the plastic?” The officer held up the object.
“No. It doesn’t belong to me, so I don’t care what you do with it,” Lucy said, her voice tense.
The officer unwrapped layer after layer of bubble wrap to reveal an object wrapped in white cloth. She had a sinking feeling that she knew exactly what was inside the scrap of cloth.
The officer glanced up at her for a fleeting moment before he unwrapped the object.
“The cross,” Lucy said in a hushed voice.
The officer whistled low as he turned it around in his hands. “You know what this is?”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes riveted on the cross. “I’m an intern at the Preston Museum in Los Angeles. The director of the museum and I delivered this cross to its new owner in London.” Her words came tumbling out fast.
“You’ll need to be questioned by my superior,” he said with a nod of his head to another officer seated at a podium at the end of the line. “Sergeant Miller, if you please,” he said in a loud voice as he gestured to her.
Lucy searched for Justin’s face in the crowd. When she found him, his eyes were wide with concern. He mouthed, “What’s wrong?”
Lucy opened her mouth to answer but could only shake her head in response.
“Come with me, Miss,” the officer said. “Sergeant Miller will speak to you in private.”
“Why? I’ve told you everything I know. Why do I need to talk to anyone else?” She looked up at Justin. His posture was rigid, and his brow furrowed. He was furious.
“Miss?” The officer gestured to a closed door.
Lucy was helpless to do anything but cooperate. She had no idea how the cross got inside her bag, but she suspected Edward had something to do with it.
“Can I talk to my boyfriend?” she gestured to Justin.
“Ruth?” the officer asked her nemesis. “We’re going to need to speak with that bearded bloke waiting just over there.” He pointed at Justin.
“All right, Archie,” she said, giving Lucy a satisfied smirk before stalking in Justin’s direction.
“Miss, if you please?” Officer Archie asked in a clipped tone.
Before she entered the room, she looked back at Justin, who was talking heatedly to Ruth. Just before the door closed behind her, Justin lunged forward and shouted, “Lucy!” He was restrained by two male officers.
It was freezing in the small room. The walls were bare and painted in a drab khaki green, with a scratched wooden table and two straight-back chairs. It looked exactly like what it was: an interrogation room.
“Please take a seat,” Archie said, pointing to an empty chair. “Sergeant Miller will be here soon.”
Lucy sat on a cold, metal chair and focused her attention on a small crack in the cheap wood table.
“Can I get you some water? Coffee or tea?” Archie asked.
“No, thank you,” she replied, wrapping her arms around her waist for comfort and warmth. She had no idea what would happen next, and she hoped it would be cleared up soon and she could leave. She listened to Justin’s raised voice in the next room. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but he was livid. The last thing he needed was to attract any more negative publicity. Please, let this be over soon. She would answer all their questions and then leave with Justin.
She jumped when the door opened. In that brief instant, she heard Justin swearing and a scuffle.
“Your boyfriend,” a deep voice said, “is considerably upset he can’t be in here with you, Miss.”
Lucy looked up at Sergeant Miller standing in front of her. He was tall, with jet-black hair and deep-set, steel-blue eyes.
“He’s protective of me,” she said in a subdued voice.
“My name is Sergeant Charles Miller.” He took the passport she still held in her hand. “And you are Lucia Bianchi?” he confirmed, looking over the document.
“Lucia is my legal name. Everyone calls me Lucy.”
“Very well, Ms. Bianchi,” he said with a tilt of his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Why don’t you explain to me how this,” he said, holding up the cross Archie had handed him, “came to be in your possession? I’m not an art expert, like you, but I do believe this is a valuable work of art.” His tone was patronizing, no doubt trying to provoke her into talking.
Lucy couldn’t take her eyes off the small cross. It held the secrets of her past with Justin, and also possessed the key to their future. She would have to draw from her deep well of courage and love for Justin to get through whatever happened next.
“Ms. Bianchi? You haven’t answered my question. How did this object come to be in your possession?”
She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and said, “I honestly don’t know.” With an unwavering gaze, she added, “I want an attorney present before I answer any more questions.”
CHAPTER 5
Justin
Justin crossed his arms in defiance to this arrogant jerk’s persistent questions. He had been in this room answering the same series of questions over and over again: How long had he known Lucy? Had he seen the cross before?
“Mr. Hamilton. Please answer the question,” Sergeant Miller demanded.
He rubbed his beard and glared at the officer. “I told you everything I know. I’ve only seen the cross once, at a museum exhibit with Lucy. That’s it. Period. End of.” He stood abruptly. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be on my way, with my girlfriend.”
“Sit down, Mr. Hamilton,” Miller commanded in a stern voice.
“What the hell for?” he growled. Justin glanced at the clock on the wall as he threw himself into the chair. He had plenty of time to get to the police station, but he didn’t want to leave without Lucy. They allowed him to make a phone call, so he had phoned Paul Trask, his solicitor, and informed him he had arrived in London and filled him in on what had happened. He had asked Paul to bring Max with him to Heathrow.
There was a loud knock on the door before the bald guy walked in and whispered something to Miller. “Thank you, Archie,” he said with a curt nod.
Miller gave him a sharp look. “You’re free to leave, Mr. Hamilton.”
“Thank Christ.” Justin hissed as he stood and gathered his wallet, passport, and phone. He opened the door and then turned and asked, “Where’s Lucy?”
“Ms. Bianchi is remaining here for more questioning.”
“What?” he asked in surprise. “Lucy has no more to do with that cross than I do!” Justin tried to remain calm. His anger wouldn’t do him or Lucy any good.
“Calm down, or you’ll be under arrest. Interfering with a government official is a serious offense. So go home, Mr. Hamilton, you already have enough legal troubles.” With a smug tone, he added, “Archie will see you out.”
For Lucy’s sake, he had to keep his temper under control and let the insult slide. “Thank you, Sergeant,” he said through clenched teeth as he opened the door.
He looked at the next door. He knew Lucy was in there, and he felt powerless to do anything about it. If he burst in to try and take her from here, he would be arrested, but if he walked away, he would be abandoning her.
“You’re free to go, sir,” Archie said.
“When can I see Lucy?”
Archie handed him a card. “This is the contact information for the customs office. You can call here for information about Ms. Bianchi.”
Justin snatched the card out of his hand and walked out of the room, looking up when a familiar voice called out his name.
“Justin!” Max called out again, with Paul Trask at his side.
“Max!” Justin exclaimed in relief, striding to his manager.
After they punched each other on the arm, Justin shook hands with Paul. “Thanks for coming here on such short notice. Is there anything you can do to help Lucy?”
Paul said with an exhale, “I wish there were something I could do, but I’m your legal representative. It’s a conflict of interest if I get involved in her case.”
“Who said anything about a case?” he shouted.
“Calm the fuck down,” Max growled, taking him by his arm. “Listen to Paul, you dumb arsehole!”
Paul ran a hand through his thinning, sandy blond hair and adjusted his green silk tie. “As a precaution, I’ve asked a friend of mine to come here and offer her assistance. Her name is Vivian Seymour. I was at university with her. She’s smart as a whip and specializes in art theft. She has connections with Interpol as well as the FBI,” he said reassuringly. “I think she is an ideal solicitor for Ms. Bianchi.”
“Oh. I see,” Justin said humbly. He would have to get a handle on his anger or else he would make things worse for Lucy. “So where is Ms. Seymour? I’d like to meet her before we leave.”
“I’m afraid we don’t have time to make introductions. Ms. Seymour is on her way.” Paul took a look at his phone. “She’s parking now and will be with Ms. Bianchi shortly.” He glanced over Justin’s shoulder. “Let me have a quick word with the commanding officer and let him know Lucy’s solicitor has arrived.”
Paul walked over to speak to an officer and then waited until Miller came out to talk to him. They entered the room, closing the door behind them.
“How are you, mate?” Max asked in his deep voice.
“I’m all right, but I’m worried about Lucy. The sooner I have her with me, the better,” he said, keeping an eye on the door, looking for any sign of her.
“I’m sure this will be cleared up soon. You’ll see.”
