The first one? He couldn’t believe his luck. Neither could she. It had been so easy for both of them. When she approached his car, she had expected to be nervous, but there was actually an amazing feeling of calm. She had been without true purpose for so long that this felt like the real thing, as if she was finally doing what she should be doing. His accent was closer to hers than she felt comfortable with, so she’d had to make adjustments there, but she had learned from that point not to be so worried. It wasn’t as if her victims were going to be around to give the police clues. She laughed softly to herself again. Her stomach had lurched at one point–not when she killed him, but when she had to…do what she had to do. The next two were easier. She was getting better, and she’d keep getting better.

Now–now she had to find the next one. Time was pressing on. This had to end.

Chapter Twelve

I was driving slowly because the rain-soaked cobbles were dangerous, and lack of speed meant my helmet visor was steamed up. By the time I reached Suzie Wong’s in George Street I needed a stiff drink, or six. The weather had forced people off the streets, and even Edinburgh’s premier night spot–as described by its totally unbiased owner–looked deserted.

Music echoed round the cavernous cellar, but the bar staff outnumbered customers. Moses Tierney, club owner and leader of the Dark Angels, looked pissed off at pretty much everything. It didn’t appear my welcome here would be any warmer than at Kailash’s but I was proved wrong very quickly, and not for the first time. Moses waved at me as soon as I came into his line of vision, and pulled a bottle of champagne out of the fridge.

‘I hope that’s not the watered-down stuff you sell to your customers,’ I said, accepting a glass, knocking it back quickly and indicating that I needed an immediate refill.