Silas starts up the car, watching the rain dancing in the headlights. ‘Rob’s noticed the barman’s sleight of hand and follows Kate home, worried about her. Imagine his shock when he rounds the corner and finds her Morris Minor smashed up against a tree. It’s his worst nightmare. His best super recogniser is suddenly fighting for her life, possibly brain damaged. He does everything he can but leaves moments before the ambulance arrives – he’d been about to bundle her into the back of his car, remember.’

‘And the pub CCTV?’ Strover asks as they drive out of the car park.

‘After the crash, Rob goes back to the Bluebell and hacks into its cameras, studies the footage.’

‘Man-in-the-middle attack,’ Strover says. ‘Unencrypted password.’

‘Piece of cake for a techie like him. After confirming that her drink was spiked, he searches everywhere for the barman. Rob now knows he must protect Kate at any cost, allow her time to recover. The last thing he needs is for her to be targeted again by the OCG. But the barman has already gone to ground, spooked by this mysterious man in a silent Tesla.

‘Six months later, the gang members are sentenced and Rob fears for Kate’s life all over again, even though he’s installed heavy security down at the house in Cornwall. But he hasn’t been able to find the barman. So he sends the pub footage to Jake, knowing that he will pass it on to us, hoping we’ll realise the danger Kate’s in. It also keeps Jake busy – as Kate’s ex, he’s been doing some unhelpful digging into Rob’s business affairs. And then the barman tracks Kate down to Cornwall, spikes her coffee at the harbour café, and she nearly drowns.’

‘He also tries to run her over in the street,’ Strover says. ‘And me.’

Strover is still indignant about the incident in Cornwall, has taken it surprisingly personally.

‘This time Rob’s onto him,’ Silas says, picking up the story again. ‘He drives down to Cornwall – in a car registered to Gilmour Martin – and shoots the barman, making sure he uses a gun that can be linked back to Gilmour in Thailand.’

‘So you were right,’ Strover says, sitting back. ‘Rob was her guardian angel.’

‘More of a fallen one. He was keeping her safe – for his own hell on earth.’

113

Kate

‘Eyes closed!’ Bex says, taking Kate’s hand.

Kate is back in the village for the first time, standing on the doorstep of Bex’s house on crutches. She does as Bex instructs, but Bex has no idea how hard she’s finding it. How hard she’s finding all of this. It’s not her leg, which is in plaster. Or her ribs, which are still bruised and sore. It’s her eyes. She never wants to close them again.

‘OK!’ Bex says.