‘Oh, that doesn’t matter,’ Matty said lightly, forcing a smile. ‘I’m a bloody idiot for thinking he could be what he seemed. As usual, my radar was way off. You must be super-happy to be proved right, right?’ Her voice cracked on the last words, and she quickly got up and went to the bathroom too.

Johnny watched her go in disbelief. ‘Is that bastard coming here?’ he hissed. He was up on his feet, looking wild-eyed.

‘No.’

‘Then I’m going back there! He can’t get away with this!’ He looked like he was going to run back to Zell am See that very moment, in his Snoopy socks.

‘Now who’s emotionally invested?’ Clover asked.

He stared back at her. ‘But he used her like she was nothing . . .’ His finger pointed angrily towards the bathroom.

‘Johnny, she’s okay. Wounded pride more than anything. She wasn’t in love with him. He didn’t hurt her.’

‘Oh! So, what? We just let him get away with it, is that it? He’s had his fun. Got what he wanted . . . everything he wanted . . . Used Mats, destroyed Kit, saved his empire . . . and there’s no fucking consequences?’

He turned away, agitated and restless, his shoulders up by his ears.

‘Johnny, I’m as angry as you are—’

‘Oh, I doubt it!’

She blinked back at him. ‘But this was never personal. It was a business tactic. Nice guys can play dirty too.’

The bathroom door opened and Matty came out again. Her face was freshly washed as well.

‘You okay?’ Johnny asked.

‘Absolutely.’ Her voice was as crisp as a green apple again but she didn’t meet his eyes. ‘I was just in there thinking we should actually be feeling grateful to Julian.’

‘Grateful?’ Clover frowned.

‘Yes. He’s an utter shit and he’s played us all, but let’s be honest – he has also actually done the spadework for us. We may not have realized it but, for very different reasons, we all wanted the same thing: Kit Foley on the ropes. And now he is.’ She indicated the screen, paused on an image of Kit in the tent.

Clover swallowed. ‘But what Beau said about their childhood. Their dad. I don’t think we can just . . . underplay that. It’s pretty heartbreaking. And it gives perspective on why he is the way he is.’

‘Yeah, it does. To think of that man using his fists on his little boys,’ Matty agreed. ‘For what it’s worth, I don’t believe he did what Amy said he did either . . .’ She drew breath. ‘But you still can’t change the fact that he did what he did to Cory. He’s still that guy.’