‘I have no idea who would have done that to Ricky, but what I do know is Mike won’t let them get away with it, that’s for sure . . . And neither would I, if I found out who did it.’

‘Zara, do you trust me?’ he asked confidently.

She took a deep breath, stubbed her cigarette out in the vintage bronze ashtray, and smiled up at him. ‘Yes, I guess I do. If my father did, and he was no fool, then there’s no reason for me not to trust you, is there?’

‘Good, because I liked your father a lot, and for his sake, I want to make sure you’re not being mugged off. Right now, though, I believe you are. I know what you’ve been through makes you a little susceptible and in a frame of mind that is eager to solidify friendships, but they have to be based on trust. You’re too trusting for your own good, my love.’

Zara inclined her head and leaned with her hand on her hip. ‘Excuse me?’

‘When you were locked up for all those years, what did the Lanigans do to find you?’

Zara really didn’t want to have this conversation because although Victor was her father’s good friend, she looked to the Lanigans as family. They respected her, didn’t they? But she had to consider the question that was posed to her, to be objective. However, it seemed as if her brain now had two voices: one was doubt and the other was confusion.

‘No, Victor, you have that all wrong. Neil took a knife defending my restaurant. And a week later, I was there when they ambushed the place. Neil pushed me into the ladies’ toilets to protect me. They—’

Victor held his hand up to stop her continuing. ‘He never fought for your business, he was stabbed outside the restaurant. You once told me yourself. No one saw or heard anything. If they’d been doing their job properly, the businesses would never have been closed down, and as for the men having to return to Ireland, don’t you think that’s a load of bullshit? Seriously, they aren’t that stupid, and I didn’t think you were either.’

‘No, Victor, I don’t think they would do that to me.’ But she knew she didn’t sound very convincing.

He stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. ‘Your father would have seen right through them. I know he thought you were ready to take over, but, Zara, for your father’s sake, you need to listen to me, darling.’

His sympathetic words irritated her. She shrugged his hand away. Turning to pour herself another coffee, she decided to light another cigarette first. She needed time to think.