John Everett Millen was an abstract expressionist in his later years, having started life as a figurative portrait painter, painting to commission with diminishing enthusiasm. His later work, though, had an energy and physicality that poured emotion onto the canvas. It was visceral, massive, a true joy to witness, to watch, for hours, day after day, always seeing the fresh and finding the spirit anew each time. He was a talent, with the value of Roman coinage.

At least that was Ever’s opinion.

And what did Ever know?

*

To purchase the gun.

It was a handgun he wanted; Ever was going to require a California driving licence, which he had always kept up, a copy of his residential lease and, as he was born in the US, he had the passport as well, should it be needed. Although strangely the valid driving licence was the more official requirement. The supposal being that if you were capable of driving a car you would be capable of firing a weapon. Interesting correlation. He could get the FSC, the firearm safety certificate, at the LA Gun Store for twenty-five dollars with a brief written test and practical proof of his ability to use and understand the weapon.

He wanted a SilencerCo Maxim 9, a 9 mm gun with an integral silencer that looked like something out of Blade Runner and used Glock magazines, so ammunition was easy to source, therefore hard to trace to a specific weapon; accurate at short range, and although he didn’t have a plan, he knew he didn’t want to make a noise.

A phone call to the store confirmed they carried that particular weapon. He gave no further information and asked for none, beyond the fact they had four in stock.

The gun would cost him about $1,450, and the store he’d called was in Van Nuys on Cohasset Street, and Kate, his friend on Waze, would be able to take him straight there. Kate was wonderful; he imagined her to be dark-haired and efficiently attractive, a great companion, and many a conversation had been struck up between the two of them, particularly when Ever thought he knew best. He very rarely did, but he liked the challenge.

The day for the purchase was not decided but at least he was fully prepared. The one decision he had made was to make a return visit to see Lomita Nairn.

He would do that before purchasing his firearm. He did not know why that was his choice, but it was.

*

It was five o’clock and he guessed Lomita would have had tea.

Possibly sitting outside under the shade on the terrace, as the late afternoon presented a warmth that had not much decreased since noon.

This time he was driving; his Discovery pulled up outside the house and rested on the brow of the semicircular drive that summited its gentle incline.