As I circled slowly round the dinner table, checking the place name cards, my frown deepened. No, no, no. This wouldn’t do at all. Irritation rose, entirely focused on George, my absent butler, and the proposed dinner-guest placement, even though I’d given no specific instructions as to where my guests were supposed to sit. Gathering up the cards, I buzzed round the table, rearranging them.

Each card was thoughtfully placed with malicious intent and a satisfied smile. That was better! I was at the head of the table where I should be, and directly opposite Tobey. I wanted to look my so-called friend in the eyes when I rained down vengeance on him.

My forthcoming sinner party was going to be a winner. There wasn’t a single guest attending who didn’t have a dodgy past or something to hide. Not one.

That’s what made each of them so perfect.

They had all accepted my invitation to dinner after it was made clear that no was not an acceptable answer. I didn’t particularly care what made them turn up so long as they came. Because, as much as they loathed me, each of them despised Tobey Durbridge that much more – and that’s precisely what I was relying on.

Tobias Durbridge, set to be elected Prime Minister of the entire nation within days, was about to choke on his just deserts. And I was going to be front and centre to do the serving. Tonight was all about payback.

Tobey had moved onwards and upwards from Mayor of Meadowview to Junior Minister for the Environment to Shadow Minister for Education to actual Prime Minister. Quite a trajectory for someone still in his thirties, and until now unheard of for a Nought. And, on his journey, Tobey had lost sight of the first rule of getting ahead: don’t forget your friends. Certainly don’t abandon them. He’d conveniently ignored who’d been instrumental in getting him each and every one of those political positions. That’s what raked at my skin with fistfuls of needles and pins – the utter ingratitude. Tobey wouldn’t have anything, be anything, without me and my support and, more importantly, my money over the years. Even now, I didn’t want to believe it, although my suspicions had proved to be well founded and grounded in actual fact. After all the many sacrifices I’d made, Tobey was going to kick me in the teeth by kicking me to the kerb. He thought he could toss me out like yesterday’s garbage. Well, I had a gift bag in mind for each of my dinner guests, something none of them would ever forget.

Including Tobey.

Especially Tobey – the unappreciative son of a bitch. Tonight he was going to get exactly what he deserved. The anticipation was delicious.