I turned towards Valance. ‘And that was, indeed, a big mistake, Anton. Marcus will never do what you say now, and if you publish the video you have of him, he’ll do the same with the one he has of you.’

‘But ’e ’asn’t got it anymore,’ Anton replied triumphantly. ‘I destroyed ’is phone.’

I looked at Asquith, who obviously couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

I turned to Valance. ‘Do you really think the video of you on Marcus’s phone was the only copy? I have another one on here.’ I held up my phone again. ‘So let’s start this little conversation again, shall we?’

I looked from one to the other, but they said nothing.

‘Now where was I? Oh, yes. This game you are playing with fixing race results will cease forthwith.’

Asquith cleared his throat.

‘Hypothetically, if what you are saying is true, then what would we get in return?’

I stared at him. It was like a vandal asking what he would get in return if he stopped painting graffiti on trains or bridges.

‘Nothing,’ I said. ‘Other than my word that what I have will not make its way to the authorities.’

‘It doesn’t seem like a very good deal.’

‘I wouldn’t say that,’ I replied. ‘If you do nothing, then I will do nothing. That seems perfectly fair to me. Mind you, I’ll be watching you closely and checking. And the alternative is that I go to both the racing authorities and the police to lay before them everything I have. I assure you, even if it may not be enough to get you two sent to prison, I have more than enough to get you banned from being a registered racehorse owner, and Anton here would definitely lose his licence to be a jockeys’ agent. Remember, the BHA only needs to be satisfied on the balance of probabilities to act.’

‘And what assurances would we get that you wouldn’t go to the BHA anyway?’ Valance asked.

‘No assurances,’ I said. ‘That is a chance you will have to take.’

‘That doesn’t seem very attractive to me.’

‘Tough,’ I said. ‘That’s all you’re getting. In fact, you have no choice whatsoever in the matter.’

‘Oh, I think we do,’ Asquith said softly.

I switched my gaze from Valance to him and my heart missed a beat.

In poker terms, Harry Asquith had just gone all-in.

In his gloved right hand he held a pistol, and it was pointed straight at me.

CHAPTER

35

I FORCED MYSELF TO smile at him.

‘Come on,’ I said, trying to keep my voice calm. ‘What are you going to do? Kill me?’

‘That certainly has its attractions,’ Asquith responded. ‘But first I want your mobile phone.’

I didn’t move.

Was he holding a winning hand, or was he bluffing?

‘Is it even loaded?’ I asked. ‘Or is it a non-firing replica?’