Jasmine was faintly aware of movement at her side, someone coming through the swing doors a few yards away. She read the look of sudden alertness on Fallan’s face and felt something inside turn to icy dread in anticipation of whatever events were about to rapidly unfold out of her control.

She wasn’t thrown to the floor this time, and nor would any bullets be flying. From the look on Fallan’s face, he’d have been happier if there were.

Two Porcupines Making Love

They sat around an eight-legged table in a small conference room inside the city chambers, its windows giving on to the continuation of John Street that ran through the buildings. Abercorn had procured use of the room at zero notice, from some contact of his at the council. Catherine didn’t know if it was just availability that had dictated his choice of venue or whether he was hoping to engender some kind of sense of civic duty and spirit of mutual cooperation in their guests.

In the case of Fallan it might be a bit of an ask. He looked like his surroundings were constricting him, a predator in the zoo, restive and bristling. If they were going to get anything from him, they were going to have to get it fast. The girl would be a better bet, but Catherine had the impression it would be difficult to isolate her from her companion. His body language was very protective towards her; hers more trusting of him than perhaps she even realised.

‘Saturday afternoon, back of two, Laura here and myself were shot at several times by a gunman in a red nineties-model Honda Civic.’

Catherine watched for their responses. Fallan was unemotive; still and calculating. Jasmine Sharp looked a little startled; surprised and clearly puzzled.

‘We know it wasn’t you,’ Catherine went on. ‘But someone wanted us to think it was.’

‘Funny,’ Fallan said. ‘A couple of hours after that, a gunman in a silver Vauxhall Vectra shot at us. Difference was, our guy wasn’t doing it for show. He intended to kill us. Someone tried to kill us both on Wednesday too, down in Northumberland, I’m disinclined to think these incidents were unrelated.’

Catherine had heard nothing about this, and a look to Abercorn confirmed he was equally uninformed.

‘We were unaware of that,’ she said. ‘Why didn’t you report it?’

She wasn’t expecting a guy like Fallan to tell her. He didn’t disappoint.

‘I realise the police are busy people,’ he said with a dryness that lacked all humour. ‘Don’t like to bother them with trivia.’

Catherine ignored this.