Page 27 of King’s Ransom

Here, now, she was out of her depth.

She clutched her iPad to her chest.

McCade said formally, ‘Our Kidnapping & Ransom policy only covers Mr King and his immediate and/or biological family members. Not employees.’

I was stunned. ‘Are you saying you won’t pay to save the bodyguard?’

McCade stiffened, raised his chin a little higher. ‘This is not my call. I’m just representing the interests of Sinclair & Loewe.’

He cocked his head at Mia Kimura. ‘There’s nothing stopping her from paying the ransom from Mr King’s own funds.’

All eyes turned to the personal assistant again.

‘Thirty seconds . . .’

‘Miss,’ I said gently. ‘Can you make bitcoin payments from King’s personal account with that iPad?’

She nodded rapidly. ‘Yes, yeah, I can.’

I said, ‘You know, I think it might be a good idea to pay up on this occasion, till we know what we’re dealing with.’

‘I don’t . . . Mr King . . . he told me, in an extortion situation, that I should . . .’

Audrey grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. ‘You think he’ll drop the bodyguard?’

‘Yes.’ I had no doubt.

I heard Director Longmuir whisper to Hooper: ‘You think he’s bluffing?’

‘If she doesn’t do something soon, we’ll find out,’ Hooper replied.

Director Longmuir got stern with the woman. ‘Ms Kimura, we don’t have time for this! We need you to pay now—’

She looked hard at him, pursing her lips.

Regripped her iPad . . .

. . . and dropped it.

It clattered to the floor.

‘Fifteen seconds . . . fourteen . . .’ the Tech Detect said.

Longmuir and Ms Kimura scrambled for the iPad.

I looked over at the bodyguard hanging from the underside of the elevator.

He was sweating bullets, his eyes pleading.

‘Okay, okay, let me do it,’ Ms Kimura said. She started tapping on the iPad, then aimed it up at the bodyguard, at the QR code on his gag.

‘Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . .’

‘She’s not going to make the transfer in time,’ I whispered to Audrey.

Ms Kimura tapped some more. ‘I just have to access Mr King’s bitcoin wallet—’

‘Five . . . four . . . three . . .’