Of course, he was right, she thought. Accordingly, she dropped her guard. ‘No, Victor, they ain’t coming back. However, under extreme duress, they did say they were working for a guy called the Governor, a right evil bastard, it seems.’

Victor stepped back and rubbed his chin in deep thought. ‘I’ve heard about this bloke, and by all accounts, he’s one dangerous man. No one knows his real name, but I’ve been told some of the toerags call him the Devil. Did you get any more information outta those fellas?’

But Zara’s mind was back on Eric. She felt so guilty and hoped that he was okay. A thought entered her head that perhaps she should call Mike.

‘Er, sorry. What did you say?’

‘Those fellas. Did you find out anything else about this Governor bloke?’

‘No, I didn’t, I’m afraid. All I know is that he’s the main man who heads this gang or rather rules them with an iron rod, using threats that include their families. And I feel a touch insulted by him calling himself the Governor and people referring to him as the Devil. After all, it was my father who ran that manor and he was called the Devil. If I ever get to meet the bastard, I’ll take that fucking title from him. If he thinks he’ll live by that name, then he’d better be prepared to die by it.’

Victor gave her a knowing smile. ‘Just be careful, little lady. He does sound like a nutcase.’

She turned to face him and looked him squarely in the eyes. ‘And, Victor, what makes you think that I’m not?’

Unperturbed by that question, he teased, ‘And how do you propose to find this guy?’

She didn’t rise to the bait; instead, she replied, ‘I’ll do what my dad would’ve done. I’ll play him at his own game. No doubt there’ll be someone special in his life, his Achilles’ heel. All I need to do is to find out who it is. So, if he uses intimidation by means of holding a knife to an innocent child or by burning down a family home, then he’ll just learn what it’s like to have the same thing happen to him. I play fair, but trust me, Victor, I’ll stoop to his level – lower even – if I have to. So, what I want you to do, if you can, is to find out who this bloke is and if he has a family or someone close to his heart.’

Victor stared at her in complete shock. ‘You what? You’re bleedin’ serious about this, ain’t ya?’