Under other circumstances, and with any other person, Parker might have been upset at the failure to share such information before now, or with the manner of its imparting, but this was Louis. The less Louis said, the more he felt.

‘How?’

‘He was attacked in his hotel room. They hurt him badly, and he must have talked before he died, because who wouldn’t?’

‘Yeah, who wouldn’t?’ Parker added another name to the list of the lost. He had not met Hendricksen, and knew of him only through Louis, but the Dutchman had stepped up to help when called upon, and both Angel and Louis had respected him. That was enough to make his loss personal. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘I think that’s how the Vuksans came after you,’ said Louis. ‘They connected the dots.’

‘A hit on me,’ said Parker, ‘which would bring you back here and give them breathing space.’

‘Leaving no evidence that they were involved, your ledger being heavily in the black when it comes to enemies.’

Parker could now breathe a little easier. The Vuksans had shown their hand and been beaten. They could try to kill half of Portland and it would not dissuade Louis from hunting them. Instead, it would only encourage him.

‘So what now?’ he said.

‘We have a hook buried in the lawyer,’ said Louis. ‘We’re about to test it.’

‘Don’t be gentle on my account.’

‘We won’t. Tell Moxie I said hello.’

‘He’ll be thrilled,’ said Parker. ‘Not. And Louis?’

‘Yes?’

‘Step carefully, okay?’

‘Always do,’ said Louis, ‘occasionally on other people.’

Parker put down his cell phone, closed his eyes, and took a long, deep breath. He didn’t like to think how near he’d come to being torn apart by an IED. It was enough to make a man fearful of leaving the house. When he opened his eyes again, Sharon Macy was standing in the doorway of the office.

‘Can I ask who you just called?’ she said.

‘My mom,’ said Parker. ‘She worries.’

‘Even from the next world? That must be some phone you have. Try again.’

Parker considered telling Macy to mind her own business, but common sense prevailed. A bomb couldn’t simply be dismissed, and Macy would be required to provide answers and assurances, both to the city and to her superiors.

‘What happened today wasn’t about me,’ said Parker. ‘It was supposed to divert someone’s attention and force him to return here, but it failed. Worse, it’s just made him more focused.’

‘You wouldn’t be referring to one of your friends from New York, would you?’

‘That may be more detail than I’m willing to share.’

‘Look at you, all secretive.’

‘It means there won’t be any more trouble, or not of the bomb kind.’

She smiled at him. It wasn’t a sad smile exactly, but sadness was somewhere in the mix.