Next, he thought about money. His mission expenses were an unknown quantity. The full ten thousand euros was probably more than he needed, but five might be too little. Settling on seven, he bundled six thousand into his bag and kept the remainder aside to carry on his person. As he was slipping the wad of notes into his wallet, something fell out. It was a folded 4x6 photo print. The picture had been taken on a cold, sunny, snowy day back in January, during one of his early return visits to Scotland when he and Grace had gone hiking into the mountains above Loch Ardaich. Pausing to marvel at the scenery, they’d snuggled together while she snapped a selfie shot of them with her phone. On his return to Le Val he’d asked her to email it to him, and printed it out on the office printer. Faintly embarrassed at his own sentimentality, he’d been carrying it with him ever since.

Seeing the picture again now made him think of what he’d brought on her. If he’d been just some ordinary guy with a normal life, this threat would not be hanging over her now. She was in mortal danger because of him. Because she loved him.

He let the picture slip from his fingers. Looked up and saw his own raw, grim expression looking back at him in the mirror. A rush of self-hatred gripped him and he slammed his fist into the glass. Jagged shards fell to the floor. Breathing hard and fighting to contain his emotions, he looked at his hand and the blood oozing from his lacerated knuckles.

Get a grip on yourself. This doesn’t help her.

His hand hurt, but he didn’t care. He wiped the blood on his bed cover, then threw on his leather jacket, slung his bag over his shoulder and headed downstairs.

Chapter 5

Now for the tricky part: getting past Jeff and Tuesday without attracting suspicion. Ben was wondering whether it was better to say goodbye or just disappear. But that choice was made for him when Jeff emerged from the kitchen and collared him in the hallway.

‘What’s up?’ Jeff asked.

‘Nothing’s up.’

But Jeff wasn’t so easily fooled. Eyeing the bag on Ben’s shoulder he grinned and said, ‘Christ almighty, off again so soon? Don’t tell me you’re headed back to Scotland for more. What happened, did she forget to bring the handcuffs?’

Highly tickled by his own joke, Jeff roared with laughter until his face turned purple. Tuesday, who had appeared in the doorway behind him, rolled his eyes in exasperation. ‘Please excuse him, Ben. It’s not his fault. The poor guy’s suffering from a bad case of suspended adolescence.’