Flight of the Falcon (Byrdes of York #1)

7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Hugh

H ugh followed Falcon across the park to the library. His mind was reeling from finding out that Falcon had psychic powers as well. He rarely used his but had thought in a case like today’s that they could come in useful. Imogen tried to encourage him to use them more, but he only did when he thought he wouldn’t be detected. Which is why he’d been surprised about Falcon.

“What’s going on?” Falcon was saying now. “Dad was going to meet John for coffee at the café. I wonder what he’s doing at the library?”

“We’ll soon find out,” Hugh replied as he saw Francis waiting outside the library for them.

“Dad,” Falcon greeted his father. “What can you tell us?”

“Come.” Francis indicated that the two men should follow him inside the library.

They went downstairs into the archives where there were lockers and a reading room. A couple of police officers were questioning staff and archives users.

Francis led them over to a large table, taking a seat so they could keep an eye on what was happening.

“John didn’t turn up at the café,” Francis began. “After I’d waited awhile, I tried his mobile number, but all I got was his voicemail. I then tried calling his PA. Joe confirmed that John had left to meet me and was as perplexed as I was. I began making my way over towards the Minster hoping there’d been no accident and that he was just delayed in some way. I even popped my head around the door of his office and Joe confirmed he’d not been back since I last called. However, Joe had rung around some of his colleagues and one of them, the librarian here, said she’d seen him only a few moments before.

“I quickly made my way over here.” Francis continued. “Only to arrive to find the place in an uproar.”

He indicated to the people the police were talking to. “The archivist over there is Phillipa, she was helping the man they’re talking to find an obscure reference in a book, when John burst in with a couple of men following him. She got up to see if she could help, but John just shook his head at her. He made his way to the section of the library where reference books were kept.”

“What happened next?” Falcon asked.

“After he passed the book to the men with him, they grabbed him by his arm and started pulling him out of the library. Phillipa, bless her, stood in front of them and threatened to call the police. One of the men just sneered at her and showed her the taser he carried. He said if she interfered anymore, she’d be in trouble. John told her to move and allowed the men to pull him out of the library. Phillipa gave it a couple of moments then she and the person she’d been helping followed to see what was happening. By the time they got out the door, John was in a black car, which quickly drove off.”

“Do we know what book?” Falcon asked his father.

Francis shook his head. “Not at the moment. I’ve not been able to speak to Phillipa without the police present to find out. When they’ve gone, I’ll ask her.”

“Sir?” One of the police officers had approached their table. Francis stood up.

“I’m Francis Byrde, a friend of Father John McKenzie. This is my son Falcon Byrde and our associate Hugh McHughes,” he said.

When the policeman heard Hugh’s name, his countenance changed, and his face lit up.

“Hugh!” he exclaimed leaning over to shake his hand. “Long time, no see. How are you involved in this?”

“Jack.” Hugh grinned as he greeted the other man. “Gentlemen,” he said, turning to Falcon and Francis, “this is Jack Speight. He and I went through basic training in the army together.”

He turned back to Speight. “I’d forgotten you moved to York when you were discharged. How’s Paul?”

“Great, great. Best thing I ever did was marry that man.” He grinned at Hugh before his face went serious again. “What’s your interest in Father McKenzie?”

“Francis here is a friend of Father McKenzie. I’ve never actually met the man. He and Francis were supposed to meet up at Stonegate Café, but to my understanding McKenzie didn’t show. Francis tracked him here, just after he’d been taken away.”

Speight turned to Francis, his notebook now in his hand. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Francis repeated what he had told Falcon and Hugh a few moments ago and Speight made notes, asking questions for clarification. Hugh couldn’t believe their luck. Jack had been a good friend when they’d been in the army, and Hugh was sorry they hadn’t kept in touch after they’d both left the forces.

“Thank you.” Jack nodded at Francis then turned to Falcon and Hugh to find out what they knew. As it wasn’t much more than what Francis had told them, it didn’t take long to give their statements.

Phillipa had been hovering and came over when she saw that they were finished. She had a tablet in hand.

“Hello, Francis.” She smiled at the older man. “It’s good to see you again, even if it’s not in the best of circumstances.”

“It’s not, Pippa,” he agreed before introducing her to Falcon and Hugh.

I’ve checked the catalogue for what should be on that shelf against what’s there. There’s only one book missing: A Picturesque History of Yorkshire from 1899. Surprising really, especially as it’s on the open shelves. Anyone can borrow it.”

Hugh shook his head. “Sometimes that doesn’t occur to people. They find it easier to just grab what they want.”

“Any idea why that book?” Speight asked them.

No-one knew. Phillipa picked up another copy of the book from the open shelves to show them. Hugh looked through it before passing it to Falcon, but there was nothing in there that jumped out at him.

“I’ll let Imogen know what’s going on.” Hugh stood up and headed for the exit, his phone in hand.

When he was outside the library, he rang Imogen and was happy when she picked up.

“Hey Hugh, how goes it?”

“Hi, Imogen. Not so good. Francis called us a half hour ago and told us that Father McKenzie was missing. He tracked him to the Minster library and found out that he’d been forced to take a book from the shelves, then he was forcibly taken away.”

He heard Imogen’s intake of breath. “That… that doesn’t make sense.” “It doesn’t,” he agreed.

“Do we know what book it was?”

“We do. I was hoping if I sent you the details, you could have a look and see if there is anything you can find that might indicate why that book?”

“I’ll do that,” she answered. “Oh by the way, Gil’s here. He made it earlier than he expected.”

Hugh nodded and told her they’d be back soon he ended the call, before sending a text through with the full title of the book.

Falcon

Falcon and Francis joined Hugh outside the library. The shining sun made him squint for a few moments. He looked up at the sky and saw there were several birds flying around. He motioned to his father that he was going to sit on the nearby bench.

Falcon could hear Francis asking Hugh how his conversation with Imogen had gone as he leaned back, sending his consciousness out to join the birds flying above. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Hugh to know about his ability to connect with birds. After all, Hugh had his own powers, whatever they may be. He just wanted to tell him in his own time, not rushed as they were now.

As it was, he didn’t expect to find anything out. Some of the birds here now may have been around when Father McKenzie was kidnapped, but not many.

As he suspected, he didn’t get much. There were a few glimpses of McKenzie as he walked hurriedly with the other men towards to the library, then a couple as they left and got into a nearby car. Nothing after that. Hugh impressed McKenzie’s likeness on some of the nearby birds and asked them to pass it on, much as he’d done when they’d been looking for Hugh. He just wished Ian, or whoever this was, would stop kidnapping his friends.

Francis and Hugh walked towards the bench. “Let’s go back to the shop. We’ll order coffee and cakes at the café to tide us over until dinner,” Francis said.

Falcon was pleased it wasn’t far to his shop, nor that they met anyone he knew on the way. He was still slightly tethered to the birds, and as such not completely in the ‘now’ with Francis and Hugh. It took more effort than usual to put one step in front of the other.

Stopping at the café, they got coffee and cakes to take with them. Ella gave her uncle a concerned glance, then quickly got their order ready.

“Here,” she said, passing everything over to them with an extra cup. “There’s one for Abbie there too. She’ll bitch if she gets left out.”

Despite her words, she smiled when she mentioned her triplet. Falcon knew that although they argued like any other siblings, they were all very close. Hell, he and his own siblings had had some good rollicking arguments in their time.

Francis accepted the extra cup and thanked Ella, and she leaned over to give her grandfather a kiss on the cheek.

The men took their goodies back to the bookshop, and as they approached the door, they could see a courier was just leaving.

Falcon didn’t think too much of it; he got books by courier all the time, Abbie would unpack them and add them to the database before putting them on the bookshelves. This time though, she was waiting for them biting her lower lip, looking anxious.

“Oh, good, you’re back, Uncle Fal.” She gratefully accepted her coffee from Francis before showing Falcon a small package. “This just arrived but it’s addressed to grandfather, so I didn’t want to open it as usual.”

Falcon examined the package. It was indeed addressed to Francis Byrde, c/o Byrde’s Books . He handed it to his father, a frown on his face.

“Thank you, Abbie.” Francis leaned in to give his granddaughter a hug. Then to the others he said, “Let’s go into your study, Fal.”

Falcon nodded and led the way to his study, which was just behind the mystery section. He pressed his palm against the electronic lock and entered when the door opened.

They settled around the coffee table, and Hugh made sure Falcon drank and ate something before they even began any discussions. Francis turned the package over and over in his hands. Falcon hadn’t been able to see a return address when he had held it.

“You know who sent it?” he eventually asked his father.

“John.” Francis replied. “It’s his handwriting. By the looks of it, it was picked up by the courier this morning for immediate delivery.”

“Are you going to open it?” Hugh asked, eying the brown package in Francis’s hands.

Nodding, Francis got up and went to Falcon’s desk across the room. He retrieved a small-bladed knife to open the package with. He pulled out a few sheaves of paper, turning them over and over in his hands, he looked at what he’d extracted. All he could see was what looked like a hand drawn map and a letter.

Francis held up the letter and read it out loud.

“ My dear friend. By the time you get this, it may be too late for me. I’m sorry I dragged you and your family into this. Ian Swales has sent his goons for me, and I only have a few moments. Enclosed is a map of the tunnels I told Falcon about. Give him my apologies for involving him. Sorry, not making much sense. I have put an altered version of this map in a book in the library, which I will pass on to them to buy you some time. You need to find the room at the end of the tunnels. There are clues there and a… well, you’ll find that out when you get there.

“I have to go. Goodbye old friend. John McKenzie ”

“Wow.” Falcon breathed out. “It sounds as though he doesn’t expect to survive this.”

Francis had his head down, rereading the letter from his old friend. He raised his wet eyes to meet his son’s. “If it is Ian doing this, then you’re probably right.”

Falcon felt Hugh’s hand on his back, as the other man rubbed between his shoulders, offering him comfort.

“What should we do?” he asked.

“I think we should visit the tunnels as quickly as we can,” Falcon replied, already missing Hugh’s hand, which he’d removed to pick up his coffee.

“I agree,” Francis said. “The sooner the better. At least we know why that book is missing from the library now. We know he’s put a false trail in there, but it won’t take them long to work that out.”

“Yes, but how does Ian know about it?”

“When John first mentioned this to me over 30 years ago, we were still in touch with Robert. John asked his opinion on the security aspect of it. Robert was an officer in the army at the time and was a security expert. Robert agreed John should follow his superiors’ orders and not investigate it further. Ian was already in a secure unit under observation, but Robert was still close with him and visited him. Maybe he mentioned it to him? Though why, I don’t know. Unless Ian had asked after John?”

“It’s a bit difficult to speculate now,” Falcon agreed. “Robert is missing and Ian’s on the loose.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, broken only by them drinking coffee and finishing their cakes. Falcon twitched the connection in his mind to the birds he’d sent searching for John, but nothing came back to him. He was worried. He was thankful to have found Hugh fairly quickly, but he didn’t think he’d be so lucky this time.

“When shall we go?” Hugh broke the silence.

“This evening,” Francis replied. He’d laid the map John had sent them on the coffee table, and they examined it as he spoke. It looks like the best entrance to use to access the tunnels is from the undercroft. It’s usually closed by 5.30pm, so we should be able to get in there after Evensong.”

He held his hand out to show a small bunch of labelled keys, which had been in the package with the map and the letter. John had sent them a way in.