‘And you’d better buy some flowers – decent ones,’ Strover calls after him, before slipping into Bristol florist mode to talk on her phone.

Silas walks off, Strover’s words carrying in the summer breeze. ‘Is that Kate?’ she asks. ‘This is the florist’s, I called earlier… Just checking you’re in for a delivery today? About ten minutes?’ He smiles to himself. Strover’s coming on nicely.

Ten minutes later, they pull up in front of the house where Kate’s living, Silas licking the last of his rum and raisin ice cream from his lips. It is the weekend, after all. In truth, he’s nervous. He hasn’t seen Kate for nearly five months, not since she left hospital and disappeared off their radar.

‘Grand Designs,’ he says, getting out the car and looking up at the house. ‘Got to be.’

The entire front of the single-storey house is glass, most of the interior hidden behind blinds. To the left of them, a shiny Tesla is hooked up to a charging point in front of a standalone double garage. He’s sure they’ve got the right place. The address matches the one Strover found for Kate’s partner’s businesses. And she established from the DVLA database that the only car in Rob’s name, a Tesla, is also registered at this address.

‘Different,’ Strover says, joining her boss at the front door.

He’s holding a large bunch of carnations, the best he could find in the village shop. If there were another way of doing this, he’d do it. The last thing he wants is to frighten Kate. She’s been through enough already.

‘Not my bag,’ he says, standing back to take in the property’s glass and steel frontage. ‘Good for growing tomatoes in though.’

‘I like it,’ Strover says, glancing across at the drive. ‘And the Tesla Model S Performance. Nought to sixty in 2.4 seconds. Three-hundred-and-sixty-five-mile range. Top speed 155 miles per hour.’

Silas shakes his head in bewilderment. ‘You are the source of the most unlikely information.’

‘Girls not meant to know about cars?’

‘Did I say that?’

Not convinced, Strover leans forward to press the doorbell. ‘Driving one of those things is like sitting in the future,’ she says, looking across at the Tesla again.

‘Wait,’ Silas says, gesturing at the security camera. He moves forward and holds the carnations up close to the tiny lens, blocking the view with flowers.

29

Kate

The phone call was from the florist again. This time the woman was ringing to say that the delivery would be in ten minutes.