When Shauna got off the phone, he called the club, wanting to speak to Claire, to explain. But she was out, so he left a message with Nick the barman and arranged for a flight out next day, back to the UK.

90

90

Connor collected his dad from the airport, hugged him warmly, took his bag.

‘Your mother told me the news about Aysha,’ said Josh as Connor drove them home in the Porsche.

‘I’m fucking furious about it,’ said Connor. ‘That bastard Joey Minghella, what a prize he is.’

‘Whole Minghella family’s a washout.’

‘She’s besotted with that cunt. What can you do?’

‘You had a word with him?’

‘Several.’

‘And?’

‘And he swears he’s in love with her and wants to do the right thing.’

‘What do you think?’

Connor’d had the week from hell. The metal compactor at the yard had broken down and that was going to cost a mint to fix or replace. Costly car parts had been going missing. And the strangest thing had happened to him when he was in the shopping mall. He’d seen Kylie passing by, and called out to say hi. She’d looked at him wildly, then hurried on past. Surprised by her reaction, he’d caught up with her, stopped her with a hand on her arm.

‘Hey, Kylie. You OK?’ he’d asked.

But Kylie glared at him. ‘Ask your bitch mother and her pet ape,’ she snapped, and dashed off.

Connor didn’t think he would mention Kylie to Shauna. Truth to tell, he’d been relieved to see the back of her, and if Mum had whispered something in Kylie’s ear, he didn’t really care that much. But what was that thing about a pet ape? What did that mean?

‘Joey thinks he’s hit pay dirt, don’t he,’ said Connor to his dad. ‘He’s been trying to get on to the family firm for ages. Now he’s succeeded. If he’s one of us, he’ll get the cream of the jobs and plenty of perks, that’s his thinking.’

‘Well, he’s fucking spot on there,’ said Josh grimly. ‘If he’s Aysha’s husband, we have to see him right.’

‘It bloody galls me to have to say it, but that’s a fact. She’s so charmed by that imbecile that she’d cut us all dead if we took against him. But I’ve warned him – if he steps out of line just once, that’s it. Game over.’

Shauna and Aysha were waiting for them at home, in the living room.

‘Hi, babes,’ said Shauna, standing up and kissing her husband on the cheek. He stiffened, but somehow managed to hug her. This was his wife, the mother of his children; and she was a monster.