The knock on the front door came just as her phone began to ring. Bloom placed her pen down on the pad and answered her phone as she walked into the hallway.

‘Hello?’ she said.

‘Augusta,’ said Karene.

Bloom opened the door. Jameson was standing on her doorstep looking just as anxious as Karene sounded. ‘What’s happened?’

‘I’ve had another email,’ said Karene in her ear. ‘It says, “I told you he wasn’t safe.”’

‘It’s Harry. Can I come in?’ said Jameson.

‘Is that Marcus?’ said Karene. ‘What did he just say about Harry? What’s happened to Harry?’

‘Karene’s on the phone,’ she said to Jameson. ‘She’s had an email saying, “I told you he wasn’t safe.” What’s happened?’

Jameson walked down the hallway and into her kitchen. He’d never been here before, never been invited. He perched on a bar stool at the kitchen island. ‘Put her on speaker,’ he said.

Bloom did and placed the phone on top of the counter. She turned over her notepad. She wasn’t ready for Jameson to see her latest theory just yet.

‘Karene, it’s Marcus. I’ve just had a call from the Head of Security at the rehab centre. There’s been a shooting.’

‘Oh God,’ said Karene.

‘Two fatalities.’

‘Harry?’ asked Bloom.

‘They wouldn’t reveal details on the phone. I’m going up there now.’

‘We’re going up there,’ said Bloom.

Jameson nodded.

‘Pick me up,’ said Karene.

‘You don’t have to come. We can check—’ started Jameson.

‘Pick me up,’ she said again.

29

Alina sat at the kitchen table in her new flat in a city she was still getting to know. She was on her laptop, searching online. She knew she shouldn’t, but she always deleted the history afterwards so she figured she was fine. This time the name ‘Peterson’ brought up two news articles. She read the newest one first; it was written in her native French.

Dammit. Julian had been a nice man, kind to her. The article didn’t say how he’d died but it was clear that someone had hurt him. The same someone who had tried to hurt Harry. Were they coming for her too?

She knew that Julian hadn’t revealed her secret. For the simple reason that he never knew it.

She went back to the older article and re-read it. She’d done this so many times in the last few days and it always brought about the same gut-wrenching panic.

Hero’s Memory Tragically Wiped by a Terrorist Bomb