Chapter 40 Chapter Thirty-Nine

The phone ringing startled her.She picked it up carefully: "Hello?" "Hey Kelly." "Diana! Where are you?" "Munich. Where are you?" "On the train to London." "Did your meeting with Sam Meadows lead to anything?" Kelly could still hear him screaming, "I'll tell you when we meet. Have you got any information?" "Not much. We have to decide what to do next. Our options are running out. Gary Reynolds' plane crashed near Denver. I think we should go there. Maybe that's our last chance." "it is good."

"The obituary says Reynolds has a sister. She might know something. Why don't we meet at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver? I fly out of Schönefeld in Berlin in three hours." "I'm going to Heathrow to catch a plane." "Good. The room is booked in the name of Harriet Beecher Stowe." "Kelly—" "yes." "It's just...you know." "I know. You, too..." Tanner was alone in his office, talking on a gold phone: "...they managed to escape. Sam Meadows was an unhappy man, and Greg Holliday was dead." He was silent for a moment. , thinking, "Logically, the only place left for them is Denver. In fact, that's pretty much their last resort... It seems like I should do it myself. They impress me, so it's up to me to properly Taking care of them is the best match." He listened, then laughed heartily, "Of course. Goodbye."

Andrew sat in the office, thinking about it, creating hazy illusions.He was lying in a hospital bed, Tanner said, you surprised me, Andrew.You should have died.Now the doctor tells me that you will be discharged from the hospital in a few days.I will arrange an office for you at KIG.I want you to see how I can save your fool's life.You just won't learn, will you, you idiot?Well, I've turned your penny bet operation into a gold mine, and you can sit there and watch me do it.By the way, one of the first things I did was cancel this shitty charity project you started, Andrew...Andrew...Andrew...

The sound is getting louder. "Andrew! Are you deaf?" Tanner was calling him.Andrew stood up vigorously and walked into his brother's office. Tanner looked up. "I hope I haven't interfered with your work," Tanner said sarcastically. "No, I'm just..." Tanner looked at his brother carefully for a while: "You are really useless at all, aren't you, Andrew? You can't reap, and you can't sow. It's good to have someone around me who can listen to me, but I don't know How long do you want to stay with me?" Kelly arrived in Denver before Diana, and she checked into the historic Brown Palace Hotel.

"A friend of mine is here this afternoon." "Do you want two rooms?" "No, a double room." After Diana's plane landed at Denver International Airport, she took a taxi to the hotel.She went to the front desk and asked the receptionist. "Oh, yes. Mrs. Stowe is waiting for you. She's in room 638." What a relief to hear that. Kelly was waiting for her.The two embraced warmly. "I miss you so much." "I missed you too. Did you have a safe trip?" Kelly asked. "No twists and turns. Thank God." Diana looked at her. "What happened to you in Paris?"

Kelly took a deep breath. "Tanner Kingsley. What happened in Berlin?" Diana said blankly, "Tanner Kingsley." Kelly went to a table, picked up the phone guide, and handed it to Diana: "Gary's sister, Lois Reynolds, looks it up in the phone book. She lives on Marion Street." "Okay." Diana looked at her watch. "It's too late to do anything. We'll be up there first thing tomorrow." They ate supper in their room, talked until midnight, and then got ready for bed. "Good night," Diana said, reaching for the light switch.The bedroom was immediately plunged into darkness.

Kelly screamed. "No! Turn on the light." Diana quickly switched on the light. "Sorry, Kelly. I forgot." "I used to be afraid of the dark until I had Mark. But after he was killed..." Kelly began to gasp, struggling to control his panic.She took a deep breath, "I wish I could get over this emotion." "Don't worry. When you feel perfectly safe, you can." When Diana and Kelly walked out of the hotel the next morning, there was a line of taxis parked outside.The two women got into one, and Kelly told the driver the number of Lois Reynolds' house on Marion Street.

Fifteen minutes later, the driver pulled over to the sidewalk. "Arrived." Kelly and Diana stared out the window, dumbfounded.They were looking at the ruins of a completely burned house.There was nothing but ash, charred pieces of wood and a collapsed concrete foundation. "That bastard killed her," Kelly said.She looked at Diana desperately, "The road has come to an end." Diana thought.There is one last chance. Ray Fowler, the gruff manager of the Denver airport, glared at Kelly and Diane: "Let me see if I figured it out. You two are investigating a plane crash without the authority's permission. You want me to make arrangements for you to question the air traffic controller on duty that day so that he can provide you with some special information? Am I correct?"

Diana and Kelly looked at each other. Kelly said, "Well, we hope—" "What do you want?" "You are willing to help us." "Why would I do that?" "Mr. Fowler, we just want to confirm that what happened to Gary Reynolds was indeed an accident." Ray Fowler looked them over carefully. "Interesting," he said.He sat and pondered for a while before speaking, "This matter is also a big burden on my mind. Maybe you should discuss it with Howard Miller. He was the air traffic controller on duty that day. This is His address. I called him and told him you were going to find him."

"Thank you. You were a great help," said Diana. Ray Fowler rants: "The only reason I'm doing this is because I think the FAA crash report is bullshit. We found the wreckage, but the funny thing is, the black boxes are missing. Gone without a trace." .” Howard Miller lived in a small stucco house six miles from the airport.Miller was in his forties, small and energetic.He holds the door for Diana and Kelly. "Come in. Ray Fowler told me you were coming. What can I do for you?" "We want to talk to you, Mr. Miller." "sit down." They sat down on the couch.

"Would you like some coffee?" "no thanks." "You're here for the Gary Reynolds crash." "Yes. Was it an accident or—?" Howard Miller shrugged: "I really don't know. I've never been through anything like it in all the years I've been here. Everything went according to procedure. Gary Reynolds radioed to land, We granted it. Next thing I knew was he was just two miles away and he was reporting a hurricane. A hurricane! Our monitors were clean. Then I went to the Weather Bureau to check .It wasn't windy. Frankly, I thought he was either drunk or on drugs. And then all we know is that he hit a ridge." "As far as I know the black box has not been found," Kelly said. "That's another story," said Howard Miller thoughtfully. "We found everything else. Where's the black box? The damn FAA stepped in and thought our records were wrong. We Tell them what happened and they don't believe it. Do you know when you feel something is wrong?" "Know." "I feel something is wrong, but I can't tell you guys what. I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful." Diana and Kelly got up, frustrated. "Well, thanks a lot, Mr. Miller. We're taking your time." "you are welcome." "I hope Gary's sister is alive," Miller said as he escorted the two female guests to the door. Kelly stopped in his tracks: "What?" "She's in the hospital, you know. Poor thing. Her house burned down in the middle of the night. They don't know if she'll make it through." Diana froze: "What happened?" "The fire department believed the fire was caused by a short circuit. Lois managed to climb out of the gate and onto the lawn outside, but by the time firefighters found her, she was in a very serious condition." Diana tried to keep her voice calm: "Which hospital is she in?" "University of Colorado Hospital. She's in the burn center there." The nurse at the reception desk of Building No. 3 in the North District said, "Sorry, Miss Reynolds is not allowed to receive guests." Kelly asked: "Can you tell us which ward she is in?" "No, I'm afraid not." "It's urgent," said Diana, "we must see her, and—" "An official written permit is required to see her." Her tone was firm, leaving no room for maneuver. Diana and Kelly looked at each other. "Okay, thanks a lot." The two women walk away. "What do we do?" Kelly asked. "This is our last chance." "I have an idea." A uniformed courier came to the reception with a large package tied with a ribbon: "I have a package here for Lois Reynolds." "I'll sign for it," the nurse said. The courier shook his head: "I'm sorry. The order I accepted must be delivered to her. It is very precious." The nurse hesitated: "Then I have to go with you." "it is good." He followed the nurse to the end of the corridor.When they reached Ward 391, the nurse reached for the door and the courier handed her the package. "You can take it in and give it to her," he said. One floor below, the courier walked up to the bench where Diana and Kelly sat waiting. "Ward 391391," he told them. "Thank you," said Diana gratefully.Hand him some money. The two women took the stairs to the third floor, stepped into the hallway, and waited until the nurse answered the phone.Her back was turned towards them.They walked quickly down the corridor into Ward 391. Lois Reynolds lay in bed with a spider's web of cannula and wires attached to her body.Her whole body was tightly bandaged.Eyes were shut tight as Kelly and Diana walked to the bed. Diana said softly, "Miss Reynolds, I'm Diana Stevens and she's Kelly Harris. Our husbands used to work for KIG." Lois Reynolds' eyes opened slowly, trying to focus.When she spoke, her voice was as thin as a gossamer: "What?" "Our husbands worked for KIG. They were both killed. We thought because of what happened to your brother, you might be able to help us," Kelly said. Lois Reynolds tried to shake her head: "I can't help you... Gary's dead." Tears welled up in her eyes. Diana bent down to her: "Did your brother say anything to you before he died?" "Gary was a very nice guy," she said very slowly and painfully. "He crashed and died." Diana said patiently, "Did he say anything to you that would help us find out the truth?" Lois Reynolds closed her eyes. "Miss Reynolds, please don't sleep just yet. This is very important. Did your brother say anything that would be helpful to us?" Lois Reynolds opened her eyes again and looked at Diana in confusion: "Who are you?" "We believe your brother was murdered," Diana said. Lois Reynolds mutters: "I know..." They both felt a icy chill. "Why?" Kelly asked. "Prima..." a whisper. Kelly moved closer. "Prima?" "Gary just a few days before he was killed...tell...tell me. Their machine can control...control the weather. Poor Gary. He...will never make it to Washington." Diana said, "Washington?" "Yeah...they're all going to...to meet some senator...to report on Prima...Gary says Prima is a bad thing..." Kelly asked, "Do you remember that senator's name?" "do not remember." "Please think about it." Lois Reynolds muttered: "Some Senator..." "Which Senator?" Kelly asked. "Levin--Leuven--Van Leuven. He's going to see her. He's going to see--" The door slammed open, and a doctor in a white coat with a stethoscope hanging around his neck walked in with strides.He looked at Diana and Kelly, and flew into a rage. "Didn't anyone tell you that you are not allowed to visit the sick here?" Kelly said, "I'm sorry. We have to—find—" "Please leave." The two women looked at Lois Reynolds: "Goodbye. Take care." The man watched them leave the room.After the door closed, he went to the bed, picked up a pillow, and leaned over to Lois Reynolds.