‘Then you out-argue them, out-think them, outsmart them,’ I told him. ‘A proper education gives you all the tools you’ll ever need to do exactly that. Do it for you, not to please others.’

‘Then how come I have to go to college to please you? It’s not how I want to spend the next few years. I want to work for you.’

‘Stop deluding yourself, Tom. You are not cut out for this life.’ God knows I loved my brother, but he was seriously doing my head in.

‘How d’you know? You won’t even give me a chance—’

‘Could you rough up some old woman who owes me money, or put a gun to someone’s head and pull the trigger if necessary? You reckon you could do that, do you?’ I asked deliberately. ‘Or how about pulling a ten-year stretch minimum because you got caught burying a body or someone grassed you up? How d’you fancy staring at four walls, day in, day out, year in, year out. You could do that too, yeah?’

‘I … I …’

‘Exactly. Tom, keep your arse at college, d’you hear me? If you drop out, don’t expect to see a single penny from me ever again. I’m not bluffing. I’m doing this for your own good and one day you’ll see that. Now get out.’

My brother left the study, slamming the door behind him. The noise went straight through my head, amplifying my headache by several degrees.

Thanks, Thomas.

Proof, if any were required, that my brother was as young as he looked.

NOW

That was close. Too close.

One of Eva’s minions actually opened fire like they thought they were in some mobster movie or something. Desperate or what? And totally lacking in class. Plus the bullet damn near took my ear off. It came that close. And as for me backing into the industrial bin like that … Stupid or what? I should’ve turned and walked away and no one would’ve been any the wiser. I could’ve been in that alleyway for any number of reasons: throwing up, taking a leak, looking for a dropped wallet. Mind you, they might’ve insisted on seeing some ID. And what if my name is already known to them?

Which leads to the question: what did Hedda tell them?

Obviously enough for them to deem me a threat – which is not good. And they both saw my face – which is even worse. They may not know my name and address, but, with a detailed description and all their connections, it won’t take them long to track me down.