Page 131 of We Chase Shadows

‘Come on, Connor,’ says Steve. ‘You disappeared in 2001. This “Jakob Eriksson” appeared straight afterwards.’

‘I’m Eric Jacobs,’ says Eric Jacobs.

‘Eric Jacobs?’ says Steve.

He nods quickly. ‘Yes. Formerly of EJ Gardening Services.’

‘You’re not Connor Brooks?’ says Amy.

‘I used to work for Mr Blackwood,’ says Eric. ‘General garden maintenance at first, then replanting, then –’

‘Jakob Eriksson is Eric Jacobs?’ says Amy.

‘Well, I suppose,’ says Eric Jacobs. ‘I have a passport in that name. Travel around whenever I’m told.’

‘Murdering Vern’s rivals?’ says Steve.

‘Murdering?’ says Eric Jacobs. ‘No, just pottering around. Botanical gardens, that sort of thing.’

‘Everywhere you went, someone died,’ says Amy.

‘I really am just a gardener,’ says Eric. ‘Mr Blackwood hired me to pretend to be this Eriksson chap every now and again. I didn’t like to ask why, because I thought perhaps it was a tax thing. I’ve just got used to it over the years.’

‘Who else knew?’ asks Amy. ‘That Eric Jacobs was Jakob Eriksson?’

‘Well, no one, I thought,’ says Eric. ‘Until that man turned up. He knew the whole thing.’

Eric Jacobs points his cuffed hands at Ernesto.

‘He knew?’ asks Steve.

Eric Jacobs nods. ‘I told him, “I’m afraid I’ve rather got in over my head,” and he said, “Well, I can fix that for you.” He offered me money.’

Steve looks at Ernesto, then back at Eric Jacobs. When he doesn’t see him as an international master criminal, Steve realizes he doesn’t look like Death at all. He just looks like an old man. Funny what the brain will do if you tell it a story. The gaps it fills in by itself.

Amy turns to Ernesto. ‘You knew?’

‘A bit,’ says Ernesto. ‘Sure, I knew a bit.’

‘You knew Jakob Eriksson wasn’t real?’ says Steve. ‘And you knew he wasn’t Connor Brooks either?’

‘Recently,’ says Ernesto. ‘I read Vern’s files at the villa. The whole story. Only recently.’

‘What happened to Connor Brooks?’ says Amy. ‘We were told Vern helped him to disappear?’

‘To be fair to Vern, he did make him disappear,’ says Ernesto. ‘It’s all in his files. He killed him, all those years ago. Killed him and took over his business. Created a scary monster called Jakob Eriksson to do all the dirty work.’

Amy can’t quite believe it. ‘So Vern has been running the whole thing for twenty-five years?’

‘Vern was running the more legit side of the business, keeping out of trouble, while Jakob Eriksson was running the dangerous stuff, and killing his rivals …’ says Steve.

‘And all along, Vern and Jakob Eriksson were the same person,’ says Amy.

‘He was his own arch-rival,’ says Steve. ‘He owned the whole lot.’

‘I could add something here,’ says Eric Jacobs. ‘If it would be helpful?’

‘Fire away, Mr Jacobs,’ says Steve.