Blake Farquharson carried only one case as he left his home. A small case, the kind one might use on an overnight trip. Not that he was going on an overnight trip. He was fleeing for ever. He had some money in a confidential account, tucked away on a Caribbean island. They would find him eventually. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that it shouldn’t happen here, at home, in England.

The streets seemed quiet. He looked up and down for a taxi, and was elated to see one turn the corner in his direction. Its orange light was on, too, proclaiming it for hire. He waved an arm, and the taxi signalled, pulled into the kerb and stopped.

‘Heathrow,’ Farquharson ordered, getting in.

‘Of course,’ said the driver, his voice oddly inflected.

The taxi started off, and Farquharson stared at the driver. He looked familiar. In the rear-view mirror, the man’s dark eyes wrinkled with pleasure.

‘Yes,’ he said, ‘you do know me, Mr Farquharson. At least, I think you do. My name is Vitalis. You are about to leave the country. Probably for some warm climate. But might I suggest a slightly cooler one? Somewhere your old friends won’t find you? At any rate, let us talk.’

Farquharson stared out of the window. The taxi was not travelling fast. He wrapped his fingers around the door handle and tried it, but it was locked. Vitalis was still smiling at him. Farquharson rested his back against the seat and closed his eyes. Slowly they filled with tears.

If you enjoyed Westwind, don’t miss Ian Rankin’s incredible Inspector Rebus novel, In A House of Lies. Click here to buy now!

About the Author

Ian Rankin is the multimillion-copy worldwide bestseller of over thirty novels and creator of John Rebus. His books have been translated into thirty-six languages and have been adapted for radio, the stage and the screen.

Rankin is the recipient of four Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Awards, including the Diamond Dagger, the UK’s most prestigious award for crime fiction. In the United States, he has won the celebrated Edgar Award and been shortlisted for the Anthony Award. In Europe, he has won Denmark’s Palle Rosenkrantz Prize, the French Grand Prix du Roman Noir and the German Deutscher Krimipreis.

He is the recipient of honorary degrees from universities across the UK, is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature, and has received an OBE for his services to literature.

Website: IanRankin.net
Twitter: @Beathhigh
Facebook: IanRankinBooks

Also by Ian Rankin

The Detective Malcolm Fox Series

The Complaints
The Impossible Dead

The Detective Inspector Rebus Series

Knots and Crosses Hide and Seek

Tooth and Nail

(previously published as Wolfman) Strip Jack

The Black Book

Mortal Causes

Let It Bleed

Black and Blue

The Hanging Garden Death Is Not the End (a novella) Dead Souls

Set in Darkness

The Falls