Page 114 of We Chase Shadows

Steve gives a slight bow to Felicity. ‘You understand why I had to ask?’

‘Of course,’ says Felicity. ‘We’re a detective agency. Go and catch whoever did it. And thank them from me.’

Steve gives her a hug, then gives Tony a punch on his good shoulder. ‘If you need me, I’ll be at The Hunter’s Rest, catching a bad guy.’

Steve walks out into the fresh air. He’d had to check, he’d had to. But of course it wasn’t Felicity. Steve knew that all along. But he’s still a copper at heart, and you have to keep your options open. Of course she didn’t shoot Tony’s attacker. Of course she doesn’t have a gun.

Although, as he gets into his car, Steve realizes that, despite him asking her a number of times, Felicity didn’t actually deny having a gun.

58

Lee is Vern’s surviving bodyguard. In fact, of the four men at Vern’s villa on the night this all began, he is now the last man standing.

He was there the night that Esteban was shot from the back. He was there the night that Korbin was knifed in the front.

And here he is again, sitting by the body of a hitman, while Vern’s blood is adding to Rosie’s claret collection indoors.

That’s a hell of a run of bad luck for one man. Or a hell of a run of incompetence for a bodyguard. Or?

Amy sits next to him. He looks upset.

‘You okay?’ Amy asks.

‘This is –’ Lee sweeps his hand over towards the body and back towards the house. ‘It’s not for me. I’ve seen it all before.’

‘Death?’ Amy asks.

Lee nods. ‘Too much of it. I signed up at eighteen to see the world, have a bit of fun. And … well, I’m sure you know.’

Lee wants to tell her something. But he also wants to tell her nothing. She just needs to steer very gently through the middle.

‘And did you?’ Amy asks. ‘See the world? Have a bit of fun?’

‘I suppose,’ says Lee. ‘At first.’

‘Rosie asked how many people you’d killed,’ says Amy.

‘Too many,’ says Lee. ‘Can I show you something?’

‘Can I ask you to put your gun down first?’ Amy asks.

‘My gun?’ says Lee. ‘Why?’

‘Just make us both feel a bit more comfortable,’ says Amy.

Lee shrugs and tosses his gun out of reach. ‘I’ll be happy if I never see another gun.’

‘What did you want to show me?’ Amy asks.

Lee rolls up the sleeve on his T-shirt. He has a tattoo that reads CFC.

‘Chelsea,’ he says.

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ says Amy. ‘No wonder you’ve killed so many people.’

‘Had that done in Helmand Province,’ says Lee. ‘Do you want to know about the last person I killed?’

Amy can’t help but glance at the body in the hollow and think about Vern Blackwood. Had Lee fired a bullet at Vern before he shut the door of the wine cellar? He’d have needed a suppressor, but the hitman’s gun must be somewhere and that would have a suppressor.