I kept staring down at the table. I had a question to ask that still ran against everything I was raised to believe, but I still needed to ask.

‘I want to divorce my wife. Can you handle that sort of thing for me?’

‘Of course we can,’ Dwight said. ‘Jennifer is one of our family law specialists.’

‘I want this done quickly and fairly. I know what I want to offer her. I will do so on a “take it or leave it” basis.’

‘Let’s talk it all through after this meeting,’ Jennifer said, ‘and get things in motion.’

‘Thank you.’

I then asked if they had heard anything about the whereabouts of Amber. Stanley Greenbaum said:

‘According to our law enforcement contacts she’s still under police guard – but she was transferred down to Palm Springs after it was clear that, given the damage caused by the shooting, she had to have an emergency hysterectomy.’

‘Oh my God,’ I said.

‘As has been announced around the media the great Patrick Kelleher is taking care of everything to do with her future. Because, of course, his bodyguard got her pregnant. Did Amber talk to one of you about the father … the actual father?’

A long silence – in which I knew he was waiting for me to say something. Now it was my turn to stare down at the conference table. I chose my next words with care:

‘All I will say is this: if her silence isn’t bought Amber has a story to tell.’

‘And if it is bought?’ Stanley Greenbaum asked.

‘She still has a story to tell.’

Todor arrived at my house at exactly 7 p.m. His right arm was in a sling and there was a heavy shoulder bandage protruding from the loose Hawaiian shirt he was wearing. He looked pale and exhausted and very much on edge.

‘Right on time,’ I said.

‘I didn’t want to keep you waiting.’

‘I wanted to see you for one and only one reason,’ I said.

I reached behind me and lifted up the duffel bag that Ricky brought along with him. The bag filled with money. I tossed it at Todor’s feet.

‘It’s all there. Not a dollar taken from it. You can give it back to your “CEO” with my compliments. Not that it will stop him having me gunned down if he wants to do that.’

‘Where’s Klara?’

‘Hiding far away from here.’

‘There’s no need for her to hide.’

‘Stop acting naive, Father.’

‘No harm will come to either of you. In fact, given all that went down, the man in charge is very grateful for your … discretion. As long as that discretion is maintained …’

‘What? He won’t kill us?’

‘There’s no further danger, Brendan.’

‘Does the CEO know that Klara and I were there?’

‘The story spun is the story that has been accepted by everyone.’

‘Bullshit.’