Chapter 47
"Much to Digest"
Returning to my room at the inn, all I could think of was how much this Christmas Eve had given to me. Meeting and interviewing Margaret Thatcher and then sitting down with a grieving father in Tundergarth Church after Christmas Eve mass had once again given a human side to this tragedy.
Throwing off my overcoat, suit jacket and high heels, I laid down on the bed and sighed deeply. Let me tell you that I was going through an assortment of emotions: anger that my plans with Tim and his dad were once again disrupted, sadness that one of my colleagues was amongst the Pan Am 103 victims, fear that Team Rocket had once again targeted airliners to show their desire to kill in order to rule the world.
All I wanted to do was to sleep, but I couldn't help it. There was once again a lot to digest. Just then, I heard the sound of my hotel phone ringing, much to my chagrin. Picking it up, I placed the phone against my right ear.
"Yeah, what is it?" I asked tiredly.
"Sorry to disturb you at this time of night, Miss Stevens," replied the voice, which belonged to the innkeeper. "There's a Mr. Clifford on the line for you. Long distance from Japan."
As much as I wanted to not talk to anyone, I couldn't turn down a phone call from my boss.
"I'll take it," I said, sitting myself up. "Howard."
"Hello, Lucy," he said in his British accent. "I wanted to see how you were doing in Scotland. Your crewmember said that you managed to interview Mrs. Thatcher tonight."
"In front of the cockpit of all things," I sighed. "You should have gotten the footage by now to show to the world."
But Roger noticed the tiredness in my voice.
"Listen, Lucy," he said, trying to be sympathetic. "I…I know how hard this has been, not being able to spend Christmas here. But, we have a responsibility as journalists."
"I know, I know, Roger," I remarked, unhitching my white pearl necklace around my neck. "Actually, when you think about it, it gives me a chance to appreciate the importance of humanity."
Placing the necklace on the nightstand, I continued my digestion.
"Just so you know," I said. "I actually had a moment to talk to one of the victims' relatives tonight at mass. His name is Raymond Alden from New York and he lost his daughter and editor-in-chief in the bombing."
"How did it go?"
"He seemed broken, which I can't blame him at all. In fact, they were sitting in the cockpit section of the plane which makes it all the more ironic in tragic terms."
"Damn," sighed Roger. "What else happened?"
"One of his editors has been accused of being a part of Team Rocket's involvement in the bombing for one."
"Yes, about that," replied Roger. "One of our reporters in Moscow said that an American man was arrested trying to board a flight to Tehran. They say he is a Team Rocket agent, turn on the news."
So, I did turn on the news and there was a report in Moscow that a Team Rocket agent suspected of being in the bombing of Pan Am 103 was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport.
"Again if you are just tuning in," said the newscaster. "International Police officials in Moscow have arrested this man, a 28 year old American man named Stewart James Swinton who is believed to be a suspect in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. As of right now, he is at a Moscow police station awaiting charges before being turned over to the FBI."
Looking at Stewart's picture, I was beginning to take a strong visualization that what Raymond confessed to me was entirely true.
"Lucy? Are you still there?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Be sure to report this on our morning show tomorrow. Arresting Stewart Swinton was the first step in getting justice for the families."
"It makes a strong case," I said. Still, it makes you wonder if there is going to be an attack on Team Rocket's Tehran headquarters."
"It's likely, Lucy. The International Police is seeking cooperation from the Iranian government to issue an arrest warrant for any Team Rocket agents connected with the bombing."
"If they can give it to them. All we can do is report on any developments, Roger."
Yawning, I knew that I needed to get some sleep and after acknowledging a Christmas greeting to Roger, I hung up the phone and got myself ready for bed.
…
Meanwhile back in Washington, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was learning of Stewart Swinton's arrest in Moscow. Little did we know that in the basement of the FBI headquarters, two of the FBI's top agents who specialized in Team Rocket affairs were preparing to be sent overseas to hunt down the Team Rocket agents involved.
"Looks like Swinton has been caught, Scully," said a male FBI agent, walking over towards his female partner.
"About time, Mulder," replied Scully. "What about the others?"
"That's where we come in."
And Mulder produced a list of suspects that included Philly Ross and Jimmy Evans. Little did Tim and his dad knew that they were about to get some big help in this investigation.
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