Knife Edge

3.27 P.M.

'What the fuck is he playing at?'

Doyle held the two-way to one ear while he scanned Park Lane and Marble Arch with the binoculars.

'Doyle? Can you hear me?' Calloway said, more agitatedly. 'I said-'

'I heard you,' the counter terrorist interrupted. Still he swept the powerful glasses back and forth.

Searching.

'Where the hell is Neville?' Calloway's angry voice demanded.

'He could already be here,' Doyle said flatly. 'He's probably watching us.'

'How could he be?'

'Come on, Calloway, he'll be expecting a fucking trap, he's not stupid.'

'So why agree to the meeting?'

'He's testing us.'

The cunning bastard.

Doyle walked to the parapet and glanced first to his left and then to his right, peering through the magnifying lenses.

Come out, come out, wherever you are.

One of the armed policemen shifted position, still trying to keep his eye pressed to the telescopic sight of the HK81.

'I wouldn't worry about it,' Doyle said quietly as he passed the man. 'This bastard's not going to show,' he said into the two-way.

'How can you be sure?' Calloway asked urgently.

'Call it a gut feeling. Give it another ten minutes then pull your men out.'

'You're not going to listen to him, are you, Vic?' snapped Mason, glaring at his superior.

Inside the Peugeot, Calloway held the two-way tightly, his mind spinning.

Why hadn't Neville shown up?

Was Doyle right? Was the ex-para wise to their plan?

How could he be?

'Doyle,' the DI said. 'Why wouldn't Neville show up? If he wants his daughter that badly, surely-'

'Just trust me on this,' Doyle interrupted.

'Why the hell should we trust him?' Mason barked.

'He hasn't been wrong so far,' Calloway said.

'No, he hasn't, has he? Not once.'

'Meaning?'

'He says he knows how Neville thinks, how his mind works. Isn't that convenient?' the DS said angrily. 'What if they're in this together?'

Calloway shook his head.

'He was so anxious for us to pull in Kenneth Baxter for questioning,' Mason persisted. 'What if that was just a fucking smokescreen? To take the suspicion away from Doyle himself.'

Calloway looked at his companion and held his gaze. 'You think Doyle is involved in these bombings?'

Mason didn't answer.

The two-way crackled again.

'Calloway. What's your answer?' Doyle's voice was breaking up slightly.

'I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him,' Mason said.

'Ten minutes,' Calloway said into the two-way.

Mason shook his head dismissively. 'You're crazier than he is, Vic.'

'And what the hell would you do?'

'Wait until the bastard shows up then let those fucking snipers loose on him.'

'And if they kill him, what about the other bombs?'

'If he's dead he can't detonate them, can he?'

Calloway shook his head.

'It's Doyle's call this time,' he said quietly. 'This time.'