‘My father told me how smart you were. Only one other person ever got to see your face and that was my cousin Joshua. I guess you assumed he was too young to remember, but a kid doesn’t forget a face like yours when he witnesses the violent act you committed. You poisoned my mother, you evil cunt. It was Josh who saw you doing it.’

She looked down at the ledger and shook her head. ‘Yeah, you nearly had me fooled. But ya know what? I think someone was watching over me the other day. You see, my book opened to a particular page, and there, as the light streamed in, I could see your phone number, but I could also see another number rubbed out. You knew about my father’s office, his secret box, the ledger, and you watched me.’

Mike felt his chest swell at the thought that this evil bastard, who was the reason she was sent away, had been secretly watching her. He wanted to rip Torvic’s head off his shoulders there and then, but she had warned him to stay back and just do as she said. After all they had gone through, he would do exactly as she asked; he owed her that much at least.

‘But, Torvic, I had my suspicions about you when your accent changed. You’re a master of language, I’m guessing. You see, you started off by talking like a real old East End taxi driver, but once you were comfortable in my presence, your accent changed a little. I didn’t hear the Russian, but your cockney banter disappeared. I found it hard to imagine that you were once a sniper in the Army, a dangerous ninja, as my father described you. In fact, you fucked up when you said this morning that you were the Machinist because the real sniper is called the Machine. In fact, he is just how I imagined him to be, which, Torvic, is the complete fucking opposite of you. Oh, and by the way, he wants to meet you, to tick you off his bucket list.’