In an act of desperation, Nevis reaches out a staying hand and plants it on Jessica’s bony arm. ‘Please.’

The girl blinks and shaking her off, in a low voice, she says, ‘Trust me on this, Nevis, it’s better you don’t find out.’

Chapter 23

Cullen

Driving home with the window down to clear his head, Cullen allows his mind to wander back to the meeting with the Smith girl. There’s something about her; he can’t quite put his finger on it. She brings up in him an uncanny sense of familiarity, almost like déjà vu. His mind is so distracted by the idea that he narrowly misses a red light and has to jam on the brakes. The stolid mass of the Royal Infirmary rises to his left. How did I get here? It comes to him with a jolt that he must have been driving round the city without realising it. He gazes up at the building, lights ablaze in the dark, thoughts turning to Satnam Mann. Silly girl. Even if she survives, she’ll be ruined.

The lights go green. Cullen’s foot lands heavily on the accelerator. The car surges forward and there is a moment, a microsecond only, when his mind empties and goes blank. At the next set of lights he feels himself come to, as if waking from a dream. Recovering himself and in full control of the car once more, he makes a left turn at the next lights and heads north-west in the direction of Clifton. Christ, he thinks, what’s got into me? Am I going mad?