‘I’m a private investigator. You know that. It’s my job to know people. I know you too, I know you would give anything to have that family back, to be Danny Evans again. You can have that. Or you can go to prison while your kids grow old enough to resent you.’ The man paused like he was waiting for a response. Danny didn’t have one. His lips bumped together, and his eyes searched the mirror like he was imploring his reflection to have the answer. It didn’t. The voice on the phone continued. ‘The bench we discussed. This evening, 10 p.m. A final opportunity to make this right. Fail to show and the police will have all they need by the morning. Leave your room as it is. I will deal with the clean-up and removal. Or do it yourself … if you think you’re smarter than the forensics experts.’

‘Please—’ Danny was too late. The phone was dead. He threw it down hard enough for it to break up. He leaned against the sink, his gaze falling to rest on the plughole. Even from here he could see spots of red on the stainless steel. There was no way he could clean this place to pass a forensic exam and that thing in there … just the thought to having to move it made him want to vomit.

The voice on the phone had spoken of a choice. But Danny didn’t have a choice at all.

Chapter 14

Stepping out of the heated interior of his car put Danny into a wind that rolled in off the sea under the cover of darkness to launch an assault. It came in gusts that stung his face like they were laden with ice. Dover’s seafront felt like the bleakest place on earth.

It also felt like the loneliest. He took a moment with his hands plunged in his pockets and his chin dug into his collar to look out and scan the wide promenade in both directions. There was no movement at all, save for the white pockets of street lighting that shuffled and flickered on the slick surface where the gusts toyed with their housing. He had parked right outside the Cliffe Hotel. The ground floor was a popular restaurant, the frontage of which had bay windows big enough to house tables with cosy-looking orange lamps. They were all empty. All the sensible people were safely in their homes.

The benches were hidden, tucked into a wall that had a sweeping wave design to mimic the sea it faced. A neat stretch of lawn finished level with the top of the wall to further obstruct the view. Danny had to walk right out onto the promenade to be able to see them. He didn’t need to be looking for plaques; one bench was already occupied.