‘You might have told me,’ Owen says.
‘I thought Nora would have told you.’
‘No. She didn’t. But Clovis did, the same day she told me about helping Miss Martin. This means …’ Owen pauses. ‘I think this woman’s confession could be true. All this time I thought …’ But he has no more words. He pictures the kerb, and Nora’s mangled body beside it.
‘What are we going to do?’ Rafe asks.
‘Nothing. I suggest we do nothing right now,’ Finn shakes his head.
‘We could imprison her again.’
Finn pales. ‘She didn’t break last time. I don’t want to go through that again.’
‘You’re right. We have to be patient and think about this.’
‘What about Jonesy? Do you think she’s responsible?’ Rafe asks.
Finn heaves a sigh ‘I don’t know. Probably.’
‘She really is the monster I always thought.’ Rafe’s face is bitter.
‘We should go home. I don’t want to raise any suspicions.’
‘Go home? We can’t live in the same house with her, Finn.’
‘We have no choice until we sort out what to do. And there’s Willa to think of. And the phials – she won’t give them back to us. We can’t just move out. Not yet—’
‘Rafe,’ Owen interrupts. ‘You’re sweating. And it’s not hot in here.’
Rafe looks from Owen to Finn. They both move towards him, astounded to see him so quickly drenched.
‘Stay away from me, Owen.’
Surprised at the rebuke, Owen backs off immediately.
‘You can’t tell her. Either of you.’ Rafe’s clothes cling to him.
‘Of course not. We would never …’ Finn fumbles. ‘We’re going to protect you, Rafe.’ He nods at Mockett. ‘Right, Owen?’
‘Of course we are.’
‘I’m sorry. I … I didn’t want anyone to know. I need a half hour on my own and a change of clothes.’
‘You can use the spare room,’ Owen says. ‘You’ve had fevers all these years?’
‘I have. And I’ve known the consequences since your wife … I need to rest. No, don’t.’ He motions to Owen to stay where he is. ‘I know the way.’
Rafe leaves Owen and Finn staring after him.
‘You didn’t know?’ Owen asks Finn.
‘Had no idea.’
‘I’m sorry about all this. I was trying to help,’ Owen says. ‘Is he really Clovis’s son? It would make more sense to me if he isn’t.’
‘Please don’t pursue this. It’s dangerous.’
‘Everything to do with Clovis is dangerous. I’ve never wanted to harm anyone in my life, Finn, but I want to kill her.’ He pauses. ‘Don’t you think Rafe has a right to know if she’s his mother? I could run her DNA.’
‘You’ll put him in danger.’
‘How?’
‘I can’t—”
‘You know but you’re not going to say. Don’t you think I deserve a few answers?’
‘You do. Of course you do. But not right now. You have to trust me. We should carry on as normal until we figure out how to deal with this.’
‘She ordered the murder of my wife! Nora would have known. She must have felt a hand – the push that sent her into the street. And all these years I thought she’d been careless. God damn your wife.’
‘God damn her.’
A half hour later, as if summoned by her damnation, a banging on the door makes them both jump.
‘Can it be anyone but her?’ Finn asks.
‘No. Fuck. No. Stay here. I’ll try to get rid of her.’
And there she is, impatience glowering off her, a curt tongue to greet him.
‘What’s wrong with your intercom? I’ve been ringing for five minutes.’
‘We’re just finishing up here, Clovis. I didn’t know you were coming by.’
‘Where are they? What’s going on here?’
‘Nothing. Rafe is resting. I took quite a bit of blood this time. And Finn’s in the flat with him. Come on through if you like.’
But Finn steps into the laboratory, blocking the doorway.
‘Where’s Rafe?’ she demands.
‘He’s still resting. Leave him alone, Clovis.’
Before she can sting him with a reply, Rafe appears alongside Finn showing no signs of the fever.
‘Those aren’t your clothes.’
‘They’re mine,’ Owen injects. ‘I covered him in coffee, almost scalded him.’
They feel the heat of her as she fixes her eyes on Owen, then Finn and finally, Rafe.
‘Whatever you’re hiding …’
She has no need to finish, confident as she is in her abilities.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Willa squats in the sitting room, picking up shards of glass from the floor, when Rafe and Finn return from Mockett’s. Dried tears streak her face.
‘What the bloody hell happened here? Did she hurt you?’ Rafe asks.
‘I’m all right.’
Willa stands amongst books littered across the floor. A crystal vase and the titles of Britain’s most prominent hypnotist have suffered Clovis’s temper. Willa picks one up and shows them the smiling, balding cover shot.
‘She was watching his TV programme and went berserk. And, well, you can see. She’s not taking her anonymity well today. She wants to be famous. She actually said she has so much to offer the world. Then she couldn’t reach either of you and that was it.’
‘What a fucking day,’ Finn says.
‘Do you want me to stay until she comes back? Make sure she’s calmed down?’ Rafe asks Finn.
‘Yes!’ Willa shouts. ‘Yes, you should stay. You always do this. You always run away and leave me here with the mess. Finn locks himself in his conservatory, you go to your studio, and what do I do? I go off to the blasted market where it’s either too hot or too cold. Where tourists trample me and thieves jostle me trying to steal my phone or my bag. Where Camden Station vomits people for fifteen hours every day. You don’t even know that I have an entirely new thing I’m doing now. And then I have to come home to her. Christ!’
‘Willa!’ Rafe cries.
‘What?’ she snaps.
‘I think you’re becoming assertive.’
‘Not amusing.’
A clear and horrible thought grabs Finn. Rafe is right; Willa has changed. And Clovis always feels threatened by change. There’s nothing fiercer than a person who finds their voice – except the wrath of his murdering wife, who will want to silence it.
‘Finn? You look like you’re on another planet,’ Willa asks, though she is too
