‘So what makes you so confident that you can?’
‘We know someone who knows where he is. She just needs to be made to talk. We’ll deliver her to you. You get the information. Then you take him. Your tools are in the backpack. Check your email account at least once every half hour. That’s how you’ll hear from us from now on.’
‘I’ll need a down payment.’
‘A hundred thousand’s already been deposited in the account we sent your last payment to. You’ll receive the remainder as soon as we have confirmation that the job’s done. It would also be very useful if you could get the chance to speak to him before you pull the trigger. We’d ideally like a filmed confession. We want to know who else was involved. He wasn’t acting alone.’
Fat chance of that, thought Jane. There was no way she wanted Mason talking. The deader he was the better.
‘I’ll see what I can do,’ she said, getting to her feet with the backpack.
37
Tina enjoyed staying at Arley’s place. Her kids, both now in their early twenties, still had vivid memories of the day seven years earlier when their father and nanny had been murdered and they’d been abducted at gunpoint. According to Arley, they’d undergone extensive therapy afterwards to help them come to terms with what had happened. Considering they’d spent the next four years apart from their mum while she’d been in prison, twins Oliver and India seemed remarkably confident and well adjusted.
They hadn’t seen Tina since the night she’d rescued them from their abductor, killing him in the process, and when they first saw her on Sunday morning they’d both hugged her tight and thanked her profusely for what she’d done for them. Tina had to fight hard to keep her emotions in check but, as always, she tried to deflect attention away from her role, remembering that night all too well herself, and wanting to keep it in the past where it belonged. Even so, it did make her feel good to know that, because of what she’d done, these two were here now. Oliver was about to go travelling in the Far East, just as Tina had done at his age, and India had a job in London working for a charity.
‘The pay’s crap but at least it’s doing something worthwhile,’ she said when she was telling Tina about it.
The four of them had a barbecue in Arley’s back garden. The sun was shining but the weather had cooled down substantially and they sat around the patio heater. Tina felt comfortable in the company of this happy family that had come so close to being torn apart and wiped out in one bloody day. The kids bombarded her with questions about the famous cases in her career, and were endearingly blunt.
‘So Mum says you’re in trouble again,’ said Oliver, who’d grown into a good-looking young man, and was the more confident of the twins.
‘I didn’t say that,’ said Arley, ‘and you need to leave Tina alone. You know we can’t talk about an ongoing case.’
‘Mum’ll sort you out,’ said India. ‘She’s a shit-hot lawyer.’
Tina laughed. ‘I’m innocent, so justice will prevail. But you’re right. She is shit hot.’
After they’d cleared away, Tina and Arley sat together in the lounge.
‘You know you can stay here for as long as you want, Tina,’ said Arley. ‘I like your company, and I’ll never stop owing you for what you did for me.’
‘There was never any debt to pay,’ Tina told her. ‘I did it because it was the right thing to do. And seeing your kids now, healthy and happy – you know, it makes me feel good. But I don’t like imposing on you. I may still be in danger and people around me seem to have a very unfortunate habit of dying. I don’t want that to happen to you.’
‘It won’t, Tina. It was Ray they wanted, not you. It’ll be too dangerous for them to try again. And in case you hadn’t noticed there’s a police car parked at the end of the road. They’ll be keeping an eye on you now.’
‘In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer. I don’t know when the police are going to let me back into my house, or give me my car back.’
‘I’ll chase them tomorrow, but it’s unlikely they’ll let you go home before the end of the week.’
Tina sighed, suddenly feeling very down. ‘I’m not sure I want to go back. Not after what’s happened to Mrs West. It won’t feel right.’
Arley leaned over and put a hand on her arm. ‘Then don’t. Do something else. Stop sticking your neck out waiting for someone to chop it off, because one day someone will. When we were sat outside with the twins talking about your past, it made me realize how many needless risks you’ve taken over the years.’ She sat back and gave Tina an appraising look. ‘Look at you. You’re young, you’re gorgeous.’
‘You should be my PR woman, not my lawyer.’
‘Why don’t you go out and date, rather than hold a candle up for men who are never going to be there for you?’
‘Says the single woman.’
Arley chuckled. ‘I’ll admit it’s not easy finding a decent guy out there, especially online, but remember, I’m ten years older than you and I’ve been in prison. I’m not a catch. You are. You can find someone.’
‘I’ve been dating,’ said Tina, remembering all the meaningless, unsatisfying encounters of the past year, and the date with Matt that had had some promise but still hadn’t made it off the ground. ‘In fact I met someone last week. Do you mind if I borrow your PC? I need to check my profile and send him a message, and the police have got my smartphone.’
Arley gave her the kind of look she’d employed a lot when she was a senior
