Contents ( 84)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- Acknowledgements
All planned. All settled. And now all out the window.
Sarah opened the bathroom door and stepped into the master bedroom.
So how the hell do I tell him?
She had left Michael sleeping in their king-size bed when she had rushed into their en suite, racing against her need to vomit. Twenty minutes later and he was wide awake. But unlike the previous three mornings, he had not come to check on her. Instead he was sat at the end of their bed wearing only his boxer shorts, with his mobile telephone pressed against his ear.
As they always were, Sarah eyes were drawn to the heavy scarring around Michael’s right bicep. It was impossible to miss. The same was true of the older, equally severe damage to his left shoulder that became visible as Sarah moved closer and around the bed.
The remnants of two gunshot wounds. Reminders of the dangers that Michael and Sarah seemed to attract.
The dangers that could one day threaten . . .
Sarah forced the thought from her mind and looked at her watch. 6.10 a.m. Even for Michael, this was an early call.
‘. . . but how did it come to you?’ Michael was asking. ‘It’s not the work you usually do.’
Michael’s question said that the call was professional, not personal. A relief. In Sarah’s experience, no 6 a.m. personal call was ever good news.
‘OK. OK. Well, look, yeah, I’m interested. Who wouldn’t be? But it’s a first appearance at a magistrates’ court. Don’t you think me turning up could look a bit like overkill?’
The sound of a voice speaking in reply was just about discernible to Sarah. She could tell it was a man, but nothing else.
‘If you think it’s the way to go then yeah, of course, I’ll make sure I’m there. Where do you want to meet? At the court or before?’
Sarah had to stop herself moving even closer. Her inquisitive nature had made her career choice inevitable. Hell, it was what had brought her to Michael’s door that first time years before.
But Michael’s profession often required secrecy, and Sarah had always respected that.
She turned what would have been an instinctive step forward into a purposeful stride back.
‘OK. That’s the one right next to Edgware Road Station, yeah? I’ll see you there. Thanks for thinking of me.’
Michael put the phone down and looked up at Sarah for the first time. A smile slowly spread across his face.
‘So, sweetheart, you still want to get ahead of that story?’
Sarah smiled back. Michael’s question had made the decision for her: their news would have to wait.
TWENTY
Will Duffy walked through the door of the Minos Café and scanned the room. One of the few old-fashioned English ‘greasy spoons’ in a heavily Middle Eastern part of London, its now rare offerings of traditional breakfast and strong, over-brewed builder’s tea attracted a mixed crowd.
It was the kind of establishment that reminded Duffy of his native Glasgow, where the Scottish version of this type of café was much more common.