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Lucy Laidlaw took a long deep breath. Linking her hands loosely in her lap, she relaxed back against the head rest as the Airbus A320 pushed back from the stand ready for takeoff. She was home and hosed.
Fifty metres away, in the airport terminal, detectives Gormley and Carmichael were standing anxiously at the window of the departure lounge, a locked door preventing them from going airside. They watched as the aircraft slowly began to move, fearful that Daniels’ intervention had come too late, and powerless to do anything about it. But on the flight deck of the Airbus, the captain was receiving a vital call . . .
‘Kestrel seven-six-two-bravo, this is the tower. We’ve got a message for you. Ready to copy?’
‘Go ahead, Tower.’
‘Kestrel seven-six-two-bravo: go to discreet frequency one, two, seven decimal six.’
Captain Kjell Halvorsen looked at his first officer and said, ‘Take over talking to the ground on box one. Keep the pushback going. I’m going to box two to see what the tower wants.’ He went to box two, dialled in the frequency and said, ‘Tower, this is Kestrel seven-six-two-bravo, go ahead.’
‘Kestrel seven-six-two-bravo, we’ve been advised by Northumbria Police that you’ve got a criminal on board travelling under a false passport, endeavouring to escape the country. We’ll hand you over to the SIO, who has further instructions for you.’
Daniels’ voice: ‘Captain?’
Halvorsen again turned to his FO. ‘Tell them to hold the pushback.’ Then, to Daniels: ‘Yes, this is the captain. Go ahead.’
‘I am Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels, Northumbria Police, Murder Investigation Team. It is imperative that we are allowed on board to extricate a passenger travelling by the name of Penelope Clark. She is wanted in connection with very serious offences. Copy that?’
‘That’s received. What do you want us to do?’
Daniels could hear the FO relaying information to the tower: Ground, this is the flight deck. Can you stop the pushback there please? We might have to go back on stand. ‘I’d like you to return to stand immediately,’ she said.
‘Stand by . . .’ Halvorsen looked out of his window. He could see two officers, one male, one female, waiting by the departure gate. ‘DCI Daniels, please advise if a remote stand is required.’
Daniels thought for a moment. Before boarding, Laidlaw had gone through airport security. If she hadn’t been frisked, she and her bag would’ve been through a scanner. It was highly unlikely that she was armed with anything that could do much damage, other than a thoroughly disagreeable personality, and the DCI took the view that a remote stand was unnecessary.
‘That’s a negative, Captain,’ she said finally. ‘She’s going nowhere. If we do this right, it’s unlikely that other passengers will be in danger.’
‘OK, if that’s the conversation complete, I’m returning to stand.’ Halvorsen advised his FO accordingly and then made an announcement to the passengers: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got a technical problem. I do apologize. Hopefully it won’t take very long to sort out, so when we get back on stand please remain in your seats and leave your seat belts fastened. I will be opening the forward left door of the aircraft, but it’s nothing at all to worry about and we don’t anticipate a significant delay.’
As the Airbus pulled back on to stand, Halvorsen asked the FO to manage things on the ground while he spoke to the number one cabin crew on board. He pushed a call button twice and a female voice came on the interphone.
‘Hello?’
‘June, it’s Kjell. Would you bring the passenger manifest to the flight deck, please?’ Halvorsen checked the video and saw his number one approach the door. He hit a switch, allowing her in. ‘Shut the door behind you.’ She did as he asked. ‘Right, we’re going back on stand. You heard me tell the passengers it’s a technical problem. It’s not. We’ve got a criminal on board. What we’re going to do is shut the aircraft down. I’ll open the window and talk to detectives on the ground and negotiate how they want to play this.’
The number one nodded.
Having briefed her fully, Halvorsen asked her to go back to the cabin and await further instructions. He opened the window. Below him, Daniels and Gormley were approaching the aircraft.
‘What’s the sketch here, guys?’ he said.
‘Can you get the steps put on?’ Daniels asked. ‘Front or back, it’s your call.’
‘It’ll be forward, left. You come up to the steps. Just knock on the door. The number one will open it and you’re in. I’ve left the seatbelt signs on, so no one else will be getting up. My number one tells me that the woman you’re looking for is in seat thirty-three D, on the right-hand side as you look towards the rear of the aircraft. Fortunately, she’s the only person in that row. Soon as you get on board, it’s over to you.’
Daniels held up a thumb. ‘Works for us.’
‘Up the steps, two knocks and you’re in,’ Halvorsen repeated. ‘Everybody happy?’
‘Let’s do it,’ Daniels said.