She accelerated down the drive and out of the gates. ‘I love a game of cat and mouse, don’t you?’

‘Who are you?’

‘Is that really the question you want to ask, Harry?’

‘There are lots of questions I want to ask.’

‘We have an hour. Go ahead. You can ask. I won’t be offended. I see that you’re a very observant person.’

‘OK. What makes you how you are?’

‘Your question is not who are you then, but what are you?’ There was a mischievous glint in her eye.

‘I suppose it is. Yes.’

‘I’m a high-functioning psychopath.’

Harry’s surprise was etched on his swollen face.

‘I’d like to say that you shouldn’t worry. That I’m not the serial killer kind. But I’m guessing you won’t buy that right now.’

‘Ha,’ he said. It was all he could manage. He’d never met a self-confessed psychopath before. He’d suspected a few, but never known for sure. ‘How does a person know that about themselves?’ He glanced in the wing mirror. There were no vehicles behind.

‘You spot it early on. You normals are pretty intolerable with all those useless emotions swishing about in your brain.’

‘I beg to differ. In my experience, emotions are incredibly helpful.’

‘Are you picking a fight with a psychopath in an enclosed space?’ She laughed at his expression. ‘I’m joking. You would say emotions are helpful, being all empathetic and emotionally sensitive.’

‘You think I’m sensitive?’

‘I’ve been watching you as much as you’ve been watching me, Harry. I get what Karene sees in you. You’re not dissimilar to my Marcus.’

‘Your Marcus? Are you guys a thing?’

‘Marcus is my lobster. He just doesn’t realize it yet.’

Harry sniggered.

‘What?’

‘I suppose I’ve never imagined a psychopath watching Friends before. But I suppose your sort must enjoy television as much as the rest of us.’

Seraphine looked bewildered. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘As in Ross and Rachel. No?’

‘I don’t recall that. He’s my lobster because—’

‘Lobsters mate for life. Yeah. That was their point too.’ He checked behind again. ‘Do you have Marcus’s number then? Can I call him about my children?’

‘There won’t be any signal until we get to the airstrip.’ She took a left turn and Harry wondered how she knew where to go. ‘See. Your emotions have you all wound up even though you know rationally that there’s nothing you can do.’

‘But my emotions make me want to do something! They drive me to protect the people I love or the people who need help.’

‘Like Alina Maree?’

‘Do you really know where she is?’

‘Yes and no.’

Harry waited.

Seraphine accelerated as the road surface improved. ‘I know she’s in witness protection.’

‘Did I put her there?’

‘No.’

‘Who did?’

‘The secret service.’

‘Marcus’s gang? MI6?’