‘Afterwards you’ll be left to rot in here,’ Hacker said. ‘No more food, no more water, and no more sleep because I’ll keep the playback of her screams running day and night. You’ll die listening to her pleading for mercy. Knowing that you could have saved her life. Knowing you could have spared her all that terrible suffering, just by telling us what we want to know. Is that what you want?’

Still no response from the prisoner. Only a very long, very still silence.

Hacker was about to say more when Boonzie McCulloch’s eyes slowly opened. Just hard little pinpricks in the half-light from the lantern, they fixed him with a look so cold, calm and dispassionate that it sent a frisson of genuine terror right through Hacker.

Hacker had never shrunk from anyone before. He had to use all his willpower not to shrink away now. He swallowed hard.

Boonzie McCulloch said nothing. No words were needed, because there was no promise of hellfire retribution that couldn’t have been better expressed by the terrible expression in his eyes.

‘You think about what I just told you,’ Hacker said, making an effort to keep his voice steady and menacing. Then he backed away towards the ladder and quickly exited the dungeon, leaving the prisoner sitting alone in the pitch darkness.

Chapter 35

Stuart was waiting for him upstairs. Hacker shook his head. ‘I told him what we discussed. He still isn’t talking.’

‘Then it’s time to move to the next stage,’ Stuart said. ‘I want you to go to Italy and take care of this personally. Today. Take Carter with you. He seems like the most reliable.’

‘You’re sure you want to go to that extreme?’ Hacker asked him. ‘Bluffing is one thing. Carrying it out, that’s a whole other game.’

‘I thought you people could handle anything.’

‘I’m not doubting whether my associates and I can handle it. I’m questioning whether you want that on your conscience. What we’ll do to McCulloch’s wife won’t be pretty. Plus there’ll be no way to make it look like an accident, like with Campbell. The Italian police will be all over it. And by flying me and my guy over there, you’re leaving a trail that’s connectable directly to you.’

Stuart looked dubious. ‘Who would ever make that connection?’

‘The chances are slim. But there’s still a chance. It’s possible that McCulloch’s wife has already reported her husband’s disappearance to the authorities. If so, specific locations here in Scotland will have been mentioned. Which potentially points at your involvement, if someone flags that a private aircraft just happened to travel from Scotland to Italy and back again, neatly coinciding with her murder. I’m just saying, think about it.’

‘Oh, I’m thinking about it, Hacker. I’m thinking you’re worried about incriminating yourself.’