Derek leaned forward and straightened one leg, rubbing at his thigh. “I knew Bob would insist on driving, even though he’d been drinking. He was just that kind of a dick, wouldn’t let himself be driven. When we got here, we climbed up onto the hill. I taunted him, if the runt with one leg can do it. He was unfit, and pretty drunk, so he was gasping for air when he got to the top, easy to unbalance. I hadn’t been drinking, though he thought I had.”

“Non-alcoholic beer.”

He nodded. “I haven’t drunk alcohol in five years, but Bob’s never even noticed. I knocked him over, overpowered him and I tied him up. Would you believe he was laughing? Still thought it was a prank. That was one good thing about Bob – he could take a joke.”

“Until …” Molloy prompted.

“Until I left to go back to the car. He shouted after me, he was afraid I was leaving him. So when I came back, he was pleased. Until he saw what I had in the sack.”

“The snake,” Molloy said.

Derek nodded, running his hand through his hair. “He was terrified. Helpless and terrified. Bob liked power, and he liked using it over people, in the guise of charm. So, I liked seeing him powerless. Plus, I’d lost my leg through fear. I was using Bob’s greatest fear against him and liked the symmetry of it. Maybe it’s the engineer in me.”

“What did you do?”

“I showed him the snake. I kept it in the sack, but he knew it was there. I tried to appeal to his conscience, talked to him about the people who would suffer if he didn’t replace the money he’d taken. Tried to persuade him that he could come back from this, change his ways.” He gave a wry look. “Even used his “Amazing Grace” story: anyone can find redemption, it’s never too late. I couldn’t believe I was doing it.”

He sighed. “But it didn’t achieve anything. He just kept shaking his head. And then he just passed out. I don’t know if it was the booze or the fear.”

“Passed out or died?” Molloy demanded.

“Passed out,” Derek said. “I know when someone is dead, and Bob wasn’t dead when I left him. I decided to leave him there overnight, with the snake for company. I thought it might help him come to his senses.”

“Did you untie him before you left?” Molloy asked.

He shook his head. “He must have untied himself. I intended coming back for him the next day, truly I did. But I must have underestimated how unfit he was.” He looked down. “The bastard had a heart attack.”

I was surprised to see Derek’s eyes glisten, just as they had that day when we’d come up here together.