‘Terrific,’ she said, and resisted the urge to ask him how much he was paying Carlos for her services.

‘Well, just make sure they don’t get their hands on you,’ he said. ‘So far they haven’t got a fucking clue who you are and I want it to stay that way. OK?’

‘OK,’ she said.

She put the phone back in her bag and allowed herself a smile. So her reward for completing the assignment was now going to be a cool million. And she didn’t even have to pre-plan the hits. She could go up to any cop in the street and blow his or her brains out. What could be simpler?

Her thoughts turned to what to do with the money – and whether she should use it to embark on a new chapter in her life. One that wasn’t just about death and destruction and a series of meaningless one-night stands.

Alice had opened her eyes and mind to the possibility of something better and more fulfilling. But it would mean leaving Mexico and turning her back on everything she knew. The Slayer would cease to exist and she would have to re-invent herself.

It wouldn’t be easy, of course. And it would entail a huge amount of risk. But there was no reason it couldn’t be done by developing a careful exit plan. She knew where to go to get fake documents – everything from visas to birth certificates. She could obtain all the paperwork she needed to set herself up here in London.

She would open new bank accounts to move her savings. Take out new credit cards. Ensure she didn’t leave a trail for others to follow. She would erase all trace of The Slayer and become someone who was so very, very different.

When the elevator door opened, Alice was standing there, wearing a big, bright smile and a knock-out black dress that revealed more of her body than it covered up.

She flew straight into Rosa’s arms and gave her a long, passionate kiss on the lips.

‘That was because I missed you so much today,’ Alice said, stepping back. ‘And I was really worried that you wouldn’t be able to make it tonight.’

Alice took Rosa’s hand and led her along the corridor to her apartment.

‘You look stunning,’ Rosa said. ‘That’s such a beautiful dress.’

‘Not as beautiful as you are,’ Alice replied.

Once inside the apartment, Rosa shed her coat and followed Alice into the kitchen. There was a tray of snack food on the breakfast bar and a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket.

‘I wasn’t sure you’d have had time to eat,’ Alice said. ‘And since you have tomorrow off I was hoping you’d drink with me tonight.’

‘Of course I will,’ she said, smiling. ‘I don’t want to be as sober as a judge on my first Saturday night in London.’