His phone buzzed in his pocket. It was Abbot, checking that Keller had settled in.

‘She’s fine,’ Foster said, scanning the other side of the court. ‘She can play tennis, that’s for sure.’

Another bullet smashed through the air.

Another grunt.

Foster smiled.

‘Did you get the video?’ Abbot asked.

‘Yep.’

‘What do you make of it?’

Foster’s eyes swept the court again.

‘Anyone who films himself with a hunting knife behind someone’s back is the real deal.’

‘Think he’ll show up?’ Abbot asked.

‘I’m sure he will. He started with letters and movies. Now it’s movies with knives. And he’s getting closer.’

‘Do you need anything?’

‘Not yet.’

‘Call me when you do.’

‘You know I will.’

Foster hung up and put his phone back in his jacket pocket.

He stretched out and waited for Maria Rosario to say something. He had sensed her on his shoulder for the past thirty seconds, half watching her player, half listening to his call.

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, without bothering to say hello.

‘I’m watching my client,’ he said. ‘Shouldn’t you be coaching her?’

‘I’ll coach her when I’m ready,’ Rosario said, as Foster twisted in his seat to face her.

‘And I’ll watch her when I like,’ he said, ‘which at the moment is every minute of the day. So at least now we both know where we stand.’

‘It’s my job to make sure she wins this tournament,’ Rosario said. ‘You’re a distraction. She doesn’t need men staring at her from the side of the court. She needs focus. She needs to be in a bubble. You’re bursting it.’

‘She’s not going to win anything with a knife in her back,’ Foster said, shaking his head and turning back to the court.

The finer points of Rosario and Foster’s argument had to be put on hold because suddenly Kirsten Keller was walking over to meet them.

‘Everything okay?’ she asked in a voice that made it clear she knew perfectly well everything was not okay. ‘You two getting along?’

‘Like a house on fire,’ Foster said.

Rosario glared at him for a moment and then walked onto the court to pack away Keller’s kit.

‘I’d like to tell you she’s a pussycat underneath it all,’ Keller said, watching Rosario go.

‘But you can’t?’

‘Nope,’ Keller smiled. ‘She’s hard as nails, vindictive, aggressive and unreasonable. And she never backs down about anything. That’s why I hired her.’

Keller threw herself into the seat next to Foster. She was entirely comfortable in her own skin and seemed not to notice the warm flesh of her tanned thighs pressing against Foster’s forearm as she sat close to him.

‘So, is this how it’s going to work? You just turn up and watch me wherever I go?’

Foster shrugged.