‘I know you now,’ he said gruffly. ‘And you’re gonna regret that.’

‘What are the chances of you telling me the location of Liberty Jackman and Troy Ealing and the two of us then just going on our merry way?’ I asked.

‘Slim to none.’

I sighed. ‘Yeah, that’s what I thought.’

The words were barely out of my mouth before Shane pounced, and I do mean pounced. A starving lioness leaping on a wildebeest could’ve learned a thing or two. Luckily for me, I’d been expecting him to do just that or I’d’ve been toast. My hand was already wrapped round the gun in my jacket pocket, my finger on the trigger, and the moment Shane made his move I made mine. And even then the son of a bitch still managed to land on top of me, knocking every last bit of air out of my lungs.

Winded and gasping, I shoved him aside onto his back, a bullet wound in his upper chest, my gun now out in the open and it couldn’t have been more firmly planted in my hand if it’d been superglued. I scrambled to my feet. Shane didn’t. He lay groaning on the floor, coughing up blood.

‘I’ll ask you again: where are Libby and Troy? And don’t bother lying because we both know you know where they are.’

‘Screw you.’

‘I’ve had worse offers,’ I taunted. ‘But that’s not on this week’s to-do list. Where are Libby and Troy?’

Another cough. I squatted down next to him. ‘Tell me what I want to know and I’ll phone for an ambulance.’

Even though he must’ve been in a great deal of pain, Shane still managed to give me a withering look. I didn’t blame him. I wouldn’t have fallen for that one either. Worth a try. ‘Please don’t make me work my way through your nearest and dearest to get the information I want.’

Another cough, this time deliberately aimed at me. Blood splattered all over the lower leg of my trousers and my shoes. Gross!

I jumped up and backed away. ‘Tell me what I want to know or I swear I’ll be back here bright and early on Saturday morning to make sure your wife and kids – Jill, Abby and Stephen, isn’t it? – join you in the hereafter. But not before I’ve had my fun with them first.’

The flicker in Shane’s eyes revealed his first moment of fear since he’d seen me in his kitchen. It never failed. Kids could turn the hardest man’s toughest armour into so much soggy, snotty tissue paper.

‘They … they …’ Cough. ‘Next to … end house. Mbizi Street. East Gurendah Harbour.’ Cough.

Really? They hadn’t bothered to move Libby and Troy to a new location? Arrogant or what?