Back Cold Paradise Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Praise
  2. Praise
  3. Praise
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. Chapter 1
  8. Chapter 2
  9. Chapter 3
  10. Chapter 4
  11. Chapter 5
  12. Chapter 6
  13. Chapter 7
  14. Chapter 8
  15. Chapter 9
  16. Chapter 10
  17. Chapter 11
  18. Chapter 12
  19. Chapter 13
  20. Chapter 14
  21. Chapter 15
  22. Chapter 16
  23. Chapter 17
  24. Chapter 18
  25. Chapter 19
  26. Chapter 20
  27. Chapter 21
  28. Chapter 22
  29. Chapter 23
  30. Chapter 24
  31. Chapter 25
  32. Chapter 26
  33. Chapter 27
  34. Chapter 28
  35. Chapter 29
  36. Chapter 30
  37. Chapter 31
  38. Chapter 32
  39. Chapter 33
  40. Chapter 34
  41. Chapter 35
  42. Chapter 36
  43. Chapter 37
  44. Chapter 38
  45. Chapter 39
  46. Chapter 40
  47. Chapter 41
  48. Chapter 42
  49. Chapter 43
  50. Chapter 44
  51. Chapter 45
  52. Chapter 46
  53. Chapter 47
  54. Chapter 48
  55. Chapter 49
  56. Chapter 50
  57. Chapter 51
  58. Chapter 52
  59. Chapter 53
  60. Chapter 54
  61. Chapter 55
  62. Chapter 56
  63. Chapter 57
  64. Chapter 58
  65. Chapter 59
  66. Chapter 60
  67. Chapter 61
  68. Chapter 62
  69. Chapter 63
  70. Chapter 64
  71. Chapter 65
  72. Acknowledgements
  73. Teaser chapter

“Yeah, that pale Scandinavian skin will fry every time,” Dino said, half to himself, chuckling. “World’s whitest white men.”

“That’s what you call me,” Stone said.

“You, too.”

At the airport, they went to the nearest ticket counter, and Lundquist flashed his badge and asked about flights to Minneapolis.

“None of the airlines flies directly to Minneapolis from Palm Beach,” the woman behind the counter said. “You’d have to change, probably in Atlanta.”

“Will you check reservations for a Paul Bartlett?” Lundquist asked.

The woman turned to her computer terminal, tapped a few keys and looked at the screen. “I’ll do a search for the name,” she said, tapping more keys. “Nope, nobody by that name.”

“Try Paul Manning,” Stone said, because he couldn’t think of anything else to do.

She tapped the keys again. “Nope, no Manning.”

“Do you recall, in the past hour or so, a tall man, six-three or -four, mid-to-late forties, dark hair going gray, fairly good-looking?”

“No, and I think I’d have noticed,” the woman said, smiling.

“Thanks for your help,” Stone said. He turned to Lundquist and Dino. “Let’s hit the charter services.”

“How do we find those?” Lundquist asked.

“There’s a big sign outside, pointing to them all,” Stone replied.

They went outside and checked the sign; there were half a dozen.

“Ebbe, you go in the car with Riley and check the north side of the field; Dino and I will check the south side.”

“Okay.” Lundquist jumped into the car with Riley.

“Well,” Dino said as they got into the Mercedes. “Lundquist isn’t the brightest tulip in the garden, is he?”

“Tulips are Dutch, not Scandinavian, and remember, he’s a lieutenant, like you.”

“Well, he can’t be all bad,” Dino said.

They checked all four companies on the south side of the field and came up with nothing. As they left the last one, Lundquist and Riley drove up.

“Nothing on the north side,” Riley said.

“Nothing over here, either,” Stone said. “Where’s the chief?”

“Probably in his office,” Riley replied.

Stone punched the number into his cell phone and asked for Griggs.

“Chief, Bartlett has checked out of the Colony.”

“Well, shit,” Griggs said. “You think he’s left town?”

“He told the desk clerk he had a plane to catch, but we’re at the airport now, and he didn’t fly out of here.”

“I guess he could have driven to Miami,” Griggs said. “It’s only an hour and a half to the airport.”

“Can you check the flights out of there for a Bartlett or Manning?”

“I’ll put somebody on it. Where do you think he went?”

“The only address we have is Minneapolis, but I don’t think he’s there.”

“Where do you think he is?”