At last the paramedics arrived. I stood up, pulling Callie with me to her feet. She clung to me, sobbing. My heart cracked in two for her. We stepped aside to give the two paramedics – a clean-shaven Nought man with sandy-brown hair tied back in a ponytail and an older bald Cross woman with flawless make-up – room. With no time for pleasantries, they immediately got to work. Sonny came to stand beside us, tears streaming down his cheeks as we watched the paramedics do all they could to revive Sephy.

To no avail.

Finally the Nought paramedic turned to us and shook his head regretfully. Callie buried her face in her hands.

‘Tobey, what can I do?’ said Callie, her every word jagged and anguished.

‘There’s nothing we can do, Callie, except let her go,’ I replied softly.

I held her tighter, tears pricking at my own eyes at the grief radiating through her in waves as she wept. In that moment, I would’ve given anything, given up everything, even my own life, to take her pain away. But I couldn’t. All I could do was hold her.

After the paramedics had taken Sephy away but before the police arrived, Callie went to the bathroom next to Eva’s office. While she was gone, I used the opportunity to have a private word with Jarvis over by Eva’s desk. Eva was back in her chair, her hands resting on the desk before her. When she saw me looking at her, she self-consciously dragged her wounded arm onto her lap.

‘Jarvis, Eva is sunset. Tonight.’ I kept my voice low so that only he and Eva could hear me. I wanted her to hear. How could I show her mercy when I knew she’d view it and exploit it as a weakness, using it to come after me and mine again? I couldn’t risk that. I’ll say one thing for her, she didn’t cry or scream or beg. She just sat up straighter and smiled.

‘Nothing personal, Eva,’ I told her. ‘Just business.’

Eva nodded. ‘Touché.’

Prickles began to scratch at my nape. I looked across the room. Callie was watching me intently, her eyes still red from the tears she’d shed. I tried to smile at her. She didn’t smile back. She scrutinized me for a moment or two longer before turning away. There’s no way she could’ve heard what I’d just said from where she stood. There had to be at least four metres between us. I headed after her without another word. I knew Jarvis would get the job done. He always did.

‘Callie, wait,’ I called out.

She turned her head. ‘Shall we go?’

‘Yes.’