‘Yeah. Which means that whatever happened, must’ve happened in the meantime,’ Jeff said. ‘Something totally unexpected. Out of the blue. That’s what got him so rattled. It’s the reason he came back home to pick up the things he needed, knowing he was going to have to shoot straight off again.’

‘Okay, I read you, she’s in danger,’ Tuesday said.

‘But maybe not imminent danger, or else he’d have gone straight there instead of London. And he warned us not to answer the phone if she calls, right? So she’s not a hostage, or anything like that, because hostages don’t generally have free access to a phone. Unless the kidnappers pressure them to call someone, like a family member, asking for money.’

‘In which case, he’d have wanted us to know about it and keep him informed,’ Tuesday said.

‘And she wouldn’t have left a message like that anyhow,’ Jeff said. ‘So we can pretty much agree that she ain’t been kidnapped. Right?’

‘This is getting complicated.’

Jeff’s brow creased like corrugated steel as he racked his brain. ‘It’s more like there’s a threat hanging over her. Someone watching her, maybe, ready to make a move but holding back. She obviously doesn’t know about it. But Ben does.’

Tuesday said, ‘So sometime between him getting on the plane in Inverness and coming home, someone must have called him or approached him. Boom, suddenly everything changes. Is that what you’re saying?’

Jeff nodded grimly. ‘That’s how I see it. It’s like someone’s got him over a barrel. Using the threat against her to coerce him in some way.’

Tuesday bit his lip. ‘That would maybe explain why he was so scared to tell us anything. He could have been told not to make contact with her, or else.’

‘Whatever it is, I don’t like it. I don’t like it one fucking bit.’

‘I’m with you,’ Tuesday said. ‘But the question is, what are we going to do about it?’

Chapter 11

Spain

Two days earlier

The small town of Albarracín was almost exactly the way Wolf remembered it. There were a few new or refurbished buildings scattered here and there, a few incongruous satellite dishes, and a few more cars and motorbikes than before; but by and large the place had changed remarkably little since his first and only visit all those years ago. Coming back here again, having dreamed about it for so long, brought on a rush of memories and emotions.