‘You think Julian posting the picture of Isobel’s party started it?’ said Jameson.

‘If Bello had people trawling the internet for images of Alina, it’s certainly a possibility, don’t you think?’

‘Anyway,’ said Harry. ‘Bello’s stuff is irrelevant now. He’s out of the picture. This girl is free. Apparently she’s in witness protection. Put there by your lot after the bomb.’

‘MI6?’ said Jameson.

‘That’s what your Seraphine said.’

‘She is not my Seraphine.’

‘Sorry, mate. That’s not what she thinks.’

‘Do you need something to eat or drink?’ said Karene.

Harry liked that she was looking out for him. ‘I’m good, thanks.’ He smiled back at her then shuffled in his seat to get more comfortable. ‘I know this Bello character wouldn’t have hesitated to torture and kill me to get what he wanted, but I’m struggling with the fact that our guys did this to me.’ He tapped the side of his head with two fingers. ‘Surely there was another way.’

‘They must have had good reason,’ said Bloom.

Jameson overtook a caravan driving ridiculously slowly. ‘And hopefully that reason is in this box.’

100

Jameson insisted on coming in too. He joked that Harry might destroy crucial evidence and Harry knew that it wasn’t really a joke. The lady from the bank took them to the vault. Karene had prepared a folder for Harry that included his passport, and they checked his details and credentials. They then inserted their key alongside his and, when the box was unlocked, left Harry and Jameson alone.

It was no bigger than a shoe box. Harry placed it on the table in the middle of the room and sat in the only chair. He looked at Jameson, and then he took a deep breath and opened it.

Inside were four white envelopes. The top one had his name written in his own handwriting. He placed it on the table. The other envelopes were addressed to Jake, Sophie and Karene. Harry held the last one in his hand. He couldn’t remember this woman and yet he’d written her name on an envelope and placed it in a locked box in a bank vault. Why? What was he going to learn in here? What was she?

‘Do you want me to open it?’ Jameson said.

Harry closed the box and picked up the envelope with his name again. Something told him he wasn’t going to like what he found in there, but before the idea unnerved him completely, he ripped open the envelope and read the letter within.

101

Karene tapped her foot incessantly. She couldn’t stop. It was like part of her wanted to run.

‘You OK?’ said Bloom.

‘Course.’ Karene flicked through the pages of the bank’s customer magazine. There was an article on savings and investments.