Page 59 of Captive Hearts
‘What happened to Azerbaijan?’ Ashley asked him.
‘I don’t know, I think I should maybe pick somewhere…’ He stopped and said into the phone, ‘Back in a sec.’ He muted the call. ‘Look, I just don’t know about Azerbaijan anymore. I think I just liked the fact it had azedin it. But I don’t know anything about the place, if I’m honest. It’s a big decision.’
Ashley sighed and unmuted. ‘We’re gonna need five minutes, Detective.’
‘You can have five. But if we want to keep on schedule, I wouldn’t go over that.’
‘Thanks.’ She cancelled the call, with a look to Gina. She turned to Pete with delicate seriousness. ‘We can’t mess about here, Pete.’
Pete tutted. ‘I’mnot. I haven’t really had a lot of time to figure this out. Had a lot on, if you haven’t noticed,’ he snapped.
Gina peeked out from behind the camera, forcing herself to speak. ‘Just read us the list of countries from your phone. Let’s start knocking them off.’
Pete nodded and got his phone out. ‘OK, there’s thirty-three countries that England can’t grab me from.’ He started scrolling. ‘Not that one, not that one, I’ve never heard of that one, that one sounds weird… ‘
Ashley looked over his shoulder. ‘What about Japan?’
‘I don’t like sushi,’ Pete dismissed.
Gina felt like she could see Ashley fighting not to roll her eyes. ‘Fine. South Korea?’
‘Which one’s the one with the little dickhead in charge with the bad haircut?’ Pete asked.
‘That’s the other one, North Korea.’
‘Mmm, maybe then.’
‘I mean, you could just go to China?’ Ashley suggested.
‘Why are you only picking Asian countries?’ Pete asked.
‘Good point,’ Ashley acquiesced. She looked at the list again. ‘Most of these are in the middle east, thoughts on that?’
‘I don’t think the Middle East would take too kindly to me. I’ve heard they go a bit overboard if you’re light-fingered.’
‘That’s not incorrect,’ Ashley told him.
‘God, I wish I could go to Brazil. Ronnie Biggs went there before they changed it.’ He sighed. Then a country on the list jumped out at him. ‘What about Egypt?’
‘Still Middle East,’ Gina pointed out. ‘Though it is also considered a part of Africa, I think.’
‘Yeah, but… It’s a bit different, isn’t it? I mean, it’s a lot less Middle-Easty than like, Iran,’ Pete said.
Gina had no idea what that meant, but Ashley was running with it. ‘You like the sound of Egypt?’
Pete sat with it for a moment. ‘Err, yeah.Yeah. Egypt. That’s where I’ll go.’
‘Shall I tell them?’ Ashley asked, already picking up the phone.
‘Go on, then.’
The phone was picked up halfway through the first ring. ‘Ashley?’
‘Egypt,’ Ashley told her.
‘Egypt?’
‘Yes. Cairo,’ she added, with a quick look to Pete.
