Leticia laughed again. She was feeling very uncomfortable and unwelcome now. She wanted to go but the coffee was too hot to be drunk rapidly. She didn’t want to be rude and leave her drink untouched, but she was getting fidgety. They made small talk for a few minutes, then Verity asked casually: ‘So you’ve been to pick up your car have you?’

‘Yes, it’s outside.’

‘Right. Did you say you were coming here?’

‘To Anton? No, he was still asleep.’

‘Right,’ Verity said absent-mindedly. ‘Late hours at the restaurant, huh?’

‘Yes, always.’ Leticia sipped her coffee and suddenly felt a real chill in the atmosphere.

Verity turned to her, licked her lips and gulped. She looked paler than ever.

‘Are you all right?’ Leticia asked.

Verity nodded. ‘I’m fine.’ She wasn’t. Leticia could see her flat stomach flexing, as if she was about to heave.

There was the sound of a key at the door. A deep male voice called something out, and Verity replied: ‘She’s in here.’

The door from the hall burst open. A large scruffy man wearing a camouflage jacket strode in, a huge sports bag in hand. His brown eyes were focused wholly on Leticia, and she immediately sensed he intended her harm. She stepped back and opened her mouth to scream, but before she could take a breath, a pale chill hand was clamped over her mouth, with a handkerchief in it. Verity’s hand.

She fought like crazy but the struggle was unequal. The man was enormously strong and she couldn’t breathe properly through the smelly rag. Oblivion came quickly.

Chapter Thirty

Verity watched as Gary folded up the unconscious woman, tying her wrists behind her back with cable ties and binding her ankles. He then unzipped the holdall and pulled out a very large canvas builder’s bag. Quite gently he lifted her up and placed her inside the bag.

‘I can’t believe it’s come to this,’ Verity said. ‘I never wanted to do it in the first place.’

‘Until you were offered the money, as I recall.’

‘Yeah, thanks for reminding me. It wasn’t my idea. I said it was stupid. We’re going to get caught.’

‘Not if we keep our heads,’ Gary said. ‘It’s quite straightforward. We’ve got her car keys. I’ll carry her out to her own car. I think she’ll just fit in the boot.’

‘It’s a Mini!’

‘They’re bigger these days.’

‘But then what? Kill her as well? She’s a colleague!’

‘I’ll have to see what the boss says,’ Gary replied.

‘None of this would have happened if you’d been more careful when you moved Rollason. Why didn’t you check the boot?’

‘Why didn’t you check it?’ he retorted. ‘It’s your car. I’ve got enough to do.’

‘What are you going to do about her phone? I can’t get into it.’