Connor somehow got his feet moving. His heart was thwacking away against his ribs like he’d just run a mile. He passed close by Jeb, thinking, He’s going to swing that fucking axe and take my arm off. The blade glinted wickedly, the steel honed to a slick sharpness. Connor somehow walked back to the Porsche and got in. He saw Bubba climb into the pickup, and then the three men hopped aboard and the engine revved. Connor started the Porsche, reversed in the Cleavers’ muddy drive, and shot back to Bubba’s place, and safety.

‘What the fuck you doing?’ asked Bubba as they sat in his trailer half an hour later.

Connor was silent. He’d drained a whisky and he felt steadier now. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. That mad bastard had meant to kill him.

‘Fucking good job young Archie saw your Porsche go past the drive,’ said Bubba. ‘He do like a nice car, that boy, and he ain’t forgotten yours. Came straight in and told me you passed by.’

‘He was going to use that fucking axe on me,’ said Connor.

‘Nah, he was just teasing with ya,’ said Bubba. ‘The Cleaver boys always did have a strange sense of humour.’

‘No, he meant it.’ Connor had seen the blood lust in Jeb’s eyes.

‘Why would he do that?’

‘Christ knows.’ Connor was shaken. He was a tough nut, but an axe attack wasn’t something you just shrugged off.

‘Look, you got out – by the skin of your teeth, but you got out. No harm done. So leave it, Connor. Stay away from them; they’re bad news. Curiosity killed the cat, remember? And if you ain’t careful, next time it will kill you.’

141

141

Mad Dog Cunningham came by to see Connor one lunchtime, when Connor was grabbing a sandwich at his flat. Out of the window, Connor could see rain falling in a steady downpour from leaden skies. He thought that he was lucky to be alive, after his visit to the pig farm. He kept turning it over and over in his mind. Jeb had mentioned Shauna, as if he was looking forward to exacting some sort of revenge on her – like, for instance, chopping her son into neat bite-sized chunks. So Connor decided that he was going to call in on Mum and ask her some more hard questions. Not that he was looking forward to it. He guessed he wouldn’t like the answers, even if he managed to get any.

Then the bell rang and he opened the door. There was Mad Dog, his pinball eyes swivelling with excitement.

‘Know the Milo skirt you asked me to track down?’

A picture of Claire Milo sprang into Connor’s mind. So did one of Suki, her daughter. Blonde hair. Long legs. That mouth . . . shit, she was hot as hell, that girl. And strictly off-limits. ‘Yeah.’