Cometh the Hour Read online

  “There are two flights out of Bombay today, both of them Air India.” She glanced down at her pad. “One in forty minutes’ time, at 12:50, so you couldn’t possibly make it to the airport in time, and one—”

  “—but a man on a motorbike could,” said Ghuman without explanation. “Get me the duty controller at the airport.”

  Ghuman paced around the room as he waited to be put through. He snatched at the phone the moment it rang.

  “It’s Patel, in accounts, sir. You asked me to—”

  “Not now,” said Ghuman. He slammed the phone down and was just about to ask his secretary what was taking so long when it rang again.

  “Who is this?” he demanded as he picked the phone up.

  “My name is Tariq Shah, Mr. Ghuman. I am Air India’s senior controller at Santacruz airport. How may—”

  “I have reason to believe that a Mr. Sebastian Clifton and my daughter, Priya, are booked on your 12:50 flight to London. Check your manifest immediately and let me know if they’ve already boarded the plane.”

  “Can I call you back?”

  “No, I’ll hold on.”

  “I’ll need a couple of minutes, sir.”

  Two minutes turned into three, and as Ghuman could no longer pace around his office while he held onto the phone, he grabbed the letter-opener on his desk and began stabbing his blotting pad in frustration. Finally a voice said, “Neither Mr. Clifton nor your daughter are on that flight, Mr. Ghuman, and the boarding desk has already closed. Do you want me to check the 18:50 flight?”

  “No, they won’t be on that one,” Ghuman said before adding, “What a clever young man you are, Mr. Clifton.”

  “I beg your pardon?” said Shah.

  “Listen carefully, Shah. I want you to check every other flight that’s leaving India for London tonight, whatever the airport, and then ring me straight back.”

  * * *

  Seb and Priya pulled up outside the domestic terminal just before one o’clock, to find Vijay standing on the pavement looking out for them.

  “Take the bike back to the garage, Vijay, then go home and stay put for the rest of the day. Don’t report back to work until tomorrow morning. Is that clear?”

  “Crystal,” said Vijay.

  Seb handed him the keys to the bike and another five hundred rupees.

  “But you have already given me more than enough money, sir.”

  “Nowhere near enough,” said Seb. He took Priya by the hand and led her quickly into the terminal and straight to Gate 14B, where some passengers were already boarding. He was glad he’d carried out two dress rehearsals, but it didn’t stop him continually looking over his shoulder to check if anyone was following them. With a bit of luck, Ghuman’s thugs would be heading for the international terminal.

  They joined the queue of passengers boarding the flight to New Delhi, but Seb didn’t feel safe even when the stewardess asked everyone to fasten their seatbelts. Not until the wheels had left the ground did he breathe a sigh of relief.

  “But we won’t be safe even when we’re back in London,” said Priya, who was still shaking. “My father won’t give up while he thinks there’s the slightest chance of getting me to change my mind.”

  “That will be pretty difficult, if we’re already married.”

  “But we both know that won’t be possible for some time.”

  “Have you ever heard of Gretna Green?” said Seb, not letting go of her hand. “It’s like Vegas without the gambling, so by this time tomorrow, you will be Mrs. Clifton. Which is why we’re taking a plane to Glasgow this evening, and not London.”

  “But even if we do that, my father will only take some other kind of revenge.”

  “I don’t think so. Because when he returns to London he’s going to have a visit from Mr. Varun Sharma, the Indian High Commissioner, as well as a chief inspector from Scotland Yard.”

  “How did you manage that?”

  “I didn’t. But when you see my uncle Giles again, you can thank him.”

  * * *

  The airport controller was back on the line forty minutes after Ghuman had put the phone down.

  “There are five other flights scheduled for London this evening, Mr. Ghuman. Three out of New Delhi, one from Calcutta and the other from Bangalore. Neither Mr. Clifton nor your daughter are booked on any of them. However, there’s a BOAC flight to Manchester and another to Glasgow that are leaving New Delhi later this evening, and the booking desks for both are still open.”

  “Clever, Mr. Clifton, very clever indeed. But there’s one thing you’ve overlooked. Mr. Shah,” said Ghuman, “I need to know which of those flights they’re booked on. Once you’ve found out, make sure they don’t board the plane.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Mr. Ghuman, because they are both British carriers, and I have no way of checking their manifests, unless I can show a crime has been committed.”

  “You can tell them Clifton is attempting to kidnap my daughter, and that you’ll hold the flight up if they allow them to board the plane.”

  “I don’t have the authority to do that, Mr. Ghuman.”

  “Listen carefully, Mr. Shah. If you don’t do it, by this time tomorrow you won’t have any authority at all.”

  * * *

  The flight from Bombay to New Delhi landed a couple of hours later, leaving Seb and Priya with almost two hours to kill before they could board their connecting flight. They didn’t waste any time making their way over to the international terminal, where they joined the queue at BOAC’s booking desk.

  “Good afternoon, sir, how can I help you?” asked the clerk.

  “I’d like two seats on your flight to Glasgow.”

  “Certainly, sir. First or economy?”

  “First,” said Seb.

  “Economy,” said Priya. They tossed a coin. Priya won.

  “Is this the way it’s going to be for the rest of our married life?” said Seb.

  “Are you on your honeymoon?” asked the booking clerk.

  “No,” said Seb. “We’re getting married tomorrow.”

  “Then I shall be delighted to upgrade you to first class.”

  “Thank you,” said Priya.

  “But first I need to see your passports.” Sebastian handed them over. “Do you have any bags to check in?”

  “None,” said Seb.

  “Fine. And could I have a credit card please?”

  “Do we also toss for that?” asked Seb, looking at Priya.

  “No, I’m afraid you’re about to marry a girl who comes without a dowry.”

  “You’re in seats 4A and 4B. The flight is scheduled to leave on time, and the gate opens in forty minutes. You might like to take advantage of our first-class lounge, which is on the other side of the hall.”

  Seb and Priya held hands as they nervously nibbled nuts and drank endless cups of coffee in the first-class lounge, until they finally heard the announcement they had been waiting for.

  “This is the first call for BOAC flight 009 to Glasgow. Will all passengers please make their way to Gate number eleven.”

  “I want us to be the first on the plane,” said Seb, as they walked out of the lounge. He had always known that this would be the only unscripted moment, but he was confident that once they’d boarded the plane, even Mr. Ghuman wouldn’t be able to have them taken off a British carrier. In the distance he spotted two armed policemen standing by the departure gate. Were they always there, or were they on the lookout for him? And then he remembered the police car that had been stationed outside Mr. Ghuman’s house and had then continuously followed him and Vijay. Ghuman was a man with political influence and power, especially in his own country, the High Commissioner had warned.

  Seb slowed down, looking first to his right and then his left as he searched for an escape route. The two policemen were now staring at them and, when they were just a couple of yards from the barrier, one of the officers stepped forward as if he’d been waiting for them.