169

A month after the wedding, DI Cory Farmer was back tackling cases on the police force and Angel was back working at the club with Tom. At the end of her shift, she slipped out to the alley at the back of the club to get to her car, enjoying the cool night air after the superheated enclosure of the club.

Halfway across the alley, she was grabbed by a man. His hand went over her mouth and she was literally lifted from the ground and bundled over to a long black car. Then she was flung – none too gently – into the back of it.

Panicking, Angel looked around and there, sitting in the half-dark beside her, was her – Annie Carter. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark skirt suit. Somehow menacing. The big bald man with crucifix earrings who’d grabbed her now got back behind the wheel and sat there, unmoving.

Oh God – what the hell . . . ?

‘What are you doing?’ Angel burst out.

Annie leaned toward Angel and Angel leaned back, away from her. This wasn’t the Annie she’d seen that long-ago night. This one wasn’t friendly or sympathetic and suddenly Angel felt very afraid.

‘You married a copper, Angel. Cory Farmer, yes? Now I’ve got just one question for you,’ said Annie flatly. ‘Does he know?’

She gulped in a breath. ‘He knows I killed Donny,’ she said, feeling her mouth dry as dust while she spoke. ‘Nothing else.’

Annie sat back, as if considering these words. Then she said: ‘I told you not to say anything. Not to a priest, not to anyone – certainly not to a fucking copper.’

Angel shook her head. ‘Yeah, but . . . I was going to give myself up, and Cory wouldn’t let me. He said Donny Maguire got what was coming to him, and you know what? He’s right. He did. After that, Cory didn’t want to know any more. Look – I’ll never forget what you did for me that night, none of it. Cory loves me and I love him but believe me – our secret is safe.’

Annie said nothing. Then in the half-dark she turned her head and Angel saw the glint of those dark green eyes, the steel in them.

‘You have to believe me,’ said Angel.

‘Yeah,’ said Annie. ‘I do. And Angel, you believe me – our secret had better be safe. If not, our next conversation could be very different from this one. You get me?’

‘Yeah. I understand. Now can I go?’

‘Sure,’ said Annie, and the driver got out from behind the wheel, came to the back of the car and opened the door.

As she got out, Angel looked back. ‘I promise you. It’s all over. And I will never mention your name, not to a living soul.’

The big man closed the door. Then he got back behind the wheel, started the engine, and the long black car slid away into the night.