She bit back a reply.
He looked away, as if he was losing interest in talking further with her, and she came in quickly with the question she most needed answered, but dreaded most.
‘You didn’t answer my question about Kerri Vlasich. Did Verdi kill her?’
He looked down at his shoes, then rose slowly to his feet. ‘I think we’ve talked enough.’
‘Who did kill her, if he didn’t?’
He was checking his watch again. For a moment he seemed about to say something, but then shook his head and began to walk away.
‘You did, didn’t you, Harry?’ Kathy said. ‘Kerri used to baby-sit for Sophie Bryant, and one time she saw you there, with North, and recognised you from Silvermeadow. That’s why she had to die.’
Jackson stopped and looked back at her, his face expressionless.
It had been a guess, but the only way Kathy could see that Kerri could have put herself at risk was by baby- sitting for North’s girlfriend. Seeing North alone would have meant nothing to her, but seeing Jackson with North would mean something once the robbery had been carried out and North’s picture was in every newspaper. Then Jackson’s dream of a quiet retirement with Connie would be blown, and, like North, he would be on the run for ever more.
And it meant that Jackson was prepared to kill for that dream; that he hadn’t just tolerated North’s murdering, but had himself killed in order to protect himself. Which was why his words of reassurance to Kathy, that he would do what he could to help her, were meaningless.
‘Come on, Harry,’ she whispered. ‘You didn’t seriously think you were in the clear, did you? We’ve had you in our sights for over a week now. That Mediterranean villa just isn’t an option any more. We’re still short of proof to pin you for Kerri’s murder, but if you kill me too, Brock will never let you rest. There won’t be the remotest corner of the world you can hide in. Your one chance is to use the fact that you’ve got me to do a deal with Brock. Go to him, tell him you never intended anyone to get hurt in the robbery, that North did all the killing. I’ll confirm that he shot Orr in cold blood, with you not here. Tell Brock to do the best he can for you, and tell him where I am. He’ll be grateful, Harry. So will I. This is the only chance you’ve got.’
‘You two are doing a lot of talking.’ North’s voice, harsh and suspicious, emerged from the shadows.
Jackson jumped, turned round quickly. ‘Yeah.’
‘What have you got to talk about, for fuck’s sake.’ North’s voice definitely was more slurred than before. ‘You look red, Harry. What’s the problem?’
‘No problem. The bitch has been working on me the same as she was on you, Greg.’
‘Yeah, right. Let’s do the bitch, get it over.’ He drew something from his pocket. With a sharp click the blade snapped open.
‘Hang on, Greg!’ Jackson said with alarm. ‘Brock knows more than we thought. That’s what I’ve been getting out of her. Looks like we may need her as a hostage.’
‘You reckon?’ North licked his upper lip, disappointed and suspicious. ‘I want to send Brock a message, when he finds her. Something he’ll remember.’
‘Sure, Greg, sure.’ Jackson was looking rattled, and Kathy thought she should try to ease North off this line of thought.
‘Why are you still here?’ she asked him. ‘That’s what I don’t understand. Why haven’t you made your move already?’
He looked at her with a sly, dangerous smile. ‘Safest place, darling. Tomorrow, Christmas Day, I become a pilgrim.’ Sniggering at this thought, he reached down into the suitcase and pulled out a priest’s dog collar. ‘Special trip for the God squad. Dawn charter flight from Luton, Christmas lunch in Bethlehem, afternoon in the Holy Land, Christmas dinner on the evening flight back, minus one pilgrim.’
‘Optimum timing, right?’ Jackson said, his voice mechanical, talking to make time while he tried to get his brain to work. ‘Robbery on the peak Saturday before Christmas for maximum takings, and getaway on Christmas Day when the search has died down and security’s thin on the ground.’
Kathy thought about that. The accidental finding of Kerri’s body must have rattled them, bringing dozens of police to Silvermeadow at just the wrong time. Killing Speedy had been a desperate improvisation to persuade them to close the case and leave before the planned day of the robbery.
North had turned and wandered back to the other side of the room, folding the blade of the flick-knife back into its handle. A toilet bucket had been improvised over there, and they heard him peeing, loud and long.
Kathy looked carefully at Jackson, wondering if she’d made any impression at all. His complexion had washed out to a sick grey, a film of sweat on his brow.
‘Must be just like home from home for him in here, Harry,’ she said. ‘He’s spent half of his life in prison. What about you? How long will you last inside?’
‘Give it a rest,’ he muttered. ‘And for Christ’s sake don’t wind him up again this time.’ He got to his feet.
‘You’re leaving?’ she asked in alarm.
‘I’ve got to close up the mall. Don’t worry, he won’t touch you as long as we might need you for insurance. I’ll be back later.’
‘Then what?’
‘I told you, I’ll do what I can.’
‘Somehow that doesn’t reassure me, Harry.’
‘I’m not giving this up, Kathy,’ he whispered angrily. ‘I’ve come too far to do that.’
Kathy felt a stab of panic. It was true: he had come too far. There was nothing she could say, no angle she could work.
‘The thing you’ve got to ask yourself, Harry, is what’s the best outcome you can get for yourself?’ she said desperately. ‘Do you think Connie will agree to spend the rest of her and her kids’ life on the run with a wanted killer? When I walked in here your options narrowed very sharply. You’d better do some hard thinking up there. You’ve got Brock’s mobile number, remember? Do yourself a favour and use it.’
It was the best she could come up with. For a moment there seemed to be a glimmer of doubt in his eyes, then the hard look snapped back and he turned away with a dismissive snort.
‘Harry!’ she called after him. ‘Get me a drink of water. Please.’
He hesitated, then poured water into a glass on the table and brought it back to her. Kathy took a gulp of water, then said hoarsely, ‘What are you going to do?’
‘There’s nothing I can do, Kathy. I’m sorry. Really. What’s done is done. I have to live with it. I can’t change it now.’
‘Suppose you could?’ she whispered. ‘Suppose you could go back a month, and forget about the hold-up, and Kerri, and Speedy, and everything.’
He shook his head. ‘Christ… life isn’t like that.’
‘There’s no hard evidence linking you to the hold-up or North, or to Kerri’s death either.’ She lifted her face closer to him, straining to make him understand. ‘If you were to stop North right now, a citizen’s arrest, and rescue me, who’s to say you’re not a hero? Me? Not likely. North? Everyone knows that he’d sell his mother for tuppence.’
‘You’d look after me, I suppose?’ he said. ‘Oh sure.’
‘Yes, Harry, I promise. You’ve got a good record. Why not? You can start again, with Connie.’
He smiled, looking sick. ‘You’re a trier, Kathy. Got to hand it to you. But you know I couldn’t, even if I wanted to. You’ve seen what he’s like. He’s got that gun. I couldn’t take him.’
‘If you had a gun, I could distract him, Harry.’
‘If…’
‘There’s one in the pocket of Orr’s coat.’
‘Eh?’ He looked at her as if she were mad.
‘In the right-hand pocket. An old service revolver, loaded. He brought it to shoot Verdi. Unfasten my handcuffs, and wait until he comes towards me.’
He shook his head and backed away from her. ‘God, you never give up, do you?’ He turned and went to the door.
North watched TV for the best part of an hour. At times Kathy thought he might have fallen asleep, but then he would sit up and look over to see what she was doing. Whenever he seemed absorbed in the screen she would
