‘I don’t care. I can’t change anything, I can’t bring my mother back. Speculation is a waste of emotional energy and I don’t have much of it to spare.’

‘What do you know about what happened?’

‘I told you, I don’t want to go there.’ Silva reached for the oars. She’d spent several weeks trying to banish the images she’d seen on TV and now here was Fairchild dredging it all up. ‘I’ll take us back to the shore. You can have a nice long chinwag with my dad about the good old days and I can get on my bike and go home and forget this conversation ever took place.’

‘You haven’t heard what I have to say yet.’

‘I’m not interested.’ Silva dipped the oars and began to turn the boat. She could feel a rising panic, emotion about to overcome her. She swallowed and gave a half smile. ‘I’m sorry you’ve made a wasted journey, sorry you’ll have to disappoint my dad. I guess he put you up to this. He can’t help interfering. If I thought it was love, I’d be touched. Sadly, it’s pride.’

‘I think you misunderstand what’s going on here. Your father came to me because we’re old friends and he knew I’d be able to help. Well, I was only too happy to. The next logical step was to try and get you on board. He figured I’d be better at that than he would.’

‘So this is about a job? Well, I’m grateful for the offer, but I’m going to pass.’ Silva began to row. ‘At least you caught some fish.’

‘Perhaps I should elaborate.’

‘Elaborate all you want,’ Silva shrugged. ‘But the answer will still be no.’

Fairchild ignored her. ‘My work involves security. After I left the army I set up as a consultant of sorts. That’s a loose description, anyway. I tend to work abroad, the Middle and Far East. Occasionally South America and Africa.’

‘Let me guess, you run mercenaries, right?’

‘I knew you were clever.’

‘Not clever enough, apparently. And I doubt I’d be clever enough to work for you. I’m a risk. It wouldn’t look so good for your company if I killed a swath of innocents on one of your protection jobs.’

‘You shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened in Afghanistan. Most people would have made the same call. The probability was the boy was a threat and you acted decisively to remove the threat and protect the patrol. To do any differently would have been negligent. In my mind you should have been given a commendation.’

‘Funny, I don’t remember the commendation. I do remember being court-martialled and thrown to the wolves.’