‘So why me?’

‘Why you what?’

Sadie lifted her hand in a vague wave of exasperation. ‘Why ask me to come along tonight? You barely know me and this meeting’s clearly important.’

‘It’s just a jolly,’ he said. ‘Something to oil the wheels, make things run a little more smoothly.’

‘You mean a bribe?’ she said caustically.

Stone shook his head. ‘Hardly that. It’ll take more than a night out to get Barry Moss on board.’

‘So why bother?’

‘Because it’s to do with building trust, getting to know someone better. You think those flash guys in the City seal their deals over the boardroom table? No, they do it at the Ivy or the Savoy with a big juicy steak and a bottle or three of champagne.’

Sadie raised her eyebrows. ‘And you’re taking Barry to the dogs?’

‘Barry likes the dogs.’

‘Just my luck,’ she said. ‘And you still haven’t answered the question. Why me? Why ask me to come along?’

‘I already told you. The girl who was coming got sick.’

‘And so you thought you’d ask a total stranger. That doesn’t make sense.’

Stone gave a nod. ‘Sure it does.

‘And how do you figure that?’

‘Because you’ve got something to lose if it doesn’t go well.’ Stone reached into his pocket with his left hand, took out a slip of paper and flapped it around. ‘Eddie’s address. I’ve got it and you want it. Therefore…’

Her eyes followed the slip of paper, resisting the urge to try and snatch it from him. ‘Therefore, you think I’ll do anything to get it.’

‘Not anything,’ he said. ‘Just this one thing. You help me make tonight run smoothly and in return I’ll give you what you want.’ He put the address back in his pocket and grinned at her. ‘That’s fair, isn’t it?’

‘In your world, maybe.’

Stone’s grin stretched a little wider. ‘It’s good to know we understand each other.’

‘Couldn’t be clearer.’ Sadie looked away, returning her attention to the outside. The rain had stopped but the pavements were still wet, shimmering in the orangey light of the streetlamps. Where were they now? Somewhere in Hackney, she guessed. Her resentment at being forced into the arrangement had returned. Stone was too smug for his own good. Sharply, she turned her face towards him again. ‘How do I know you’re even telling the truth? You could have any old address written on that piece of paper.’

‘You’ll just have to trust me.’

‘And why should I do that?’

‘Because how else are you going to find him? Kellston’s a big place. You could be tramping the streets for months.’

‘Maybe I’d prefer that.’

‘You want me to stop the car? You can get out now if you like.’

Sadie knew that he was calling her bluff. She was almost tempted to go through with it, to tell him to stop, but then she thought about Joel and what it would mean to go home empty-handed. ‘I didn’t say that.’

‘That’s settled then,’ he said with a triumphant smile.

A few minutes later they drew up outside the brightly lit stadium. Sadie gazed out through the windscreen, looking at all the people milling about. As Stone killed the engine, she took a deep breath and prepared to face the night ahead.

‘Ready?’ he asked.

‘As I’ll ever be.’

‘You could try and look more cheerful about it.’

Sadie painted a fake smile on her face. ‘Will this do?’

Stone gave a shrug. ‘If it’s the best you can manage.’

Sadie gritted her teeth as she got out of the car. Had she ever disliked anyone more than Nathan Stone? She doubted it. Just a few hours, she told herself, and it would all be over.

7

Mona Farrell sat on the edge of the bed, watching as her mother put on her make-up. She twisted the silky cover of the eiderdown between her fingers and picked at the gold and turquoise threads of the embroidered peacocks. ‘Where are you going?’

‘Dinner with the Jensons.’

‘The Jensons are boring. Stay here. We can watch TV together.’

Christine Farrell dabbed some powder on her nose before reaching out for the vodka and tonic that was always by her side. ‘Don’t be silly, darling. Your father can’t go on his own.’

‘Why not? Tell him you don’t feel well. It’s only a stupid dinner.’

‘We won’t be late.’

Mona gave a sigh. ‘The Jensons are boring,’ she said again. ‘You know they are. All they ever talk about is how much money they’ve got. You’ll have to sit and listen to them droning on for hours and hours and hours.’

‘It’s not just the four of us. There’s going to be other people there.’

‘They’ll be boring too.’

Christine Farrell inclined her head and stared at her daughter in the mirror. ‘So what have you been up to today?’

‘Nothing special,’ Mona said. ‘I went to see a friend.’ She tried to keep her voice calm even though she felt tumultuous inside. It had been the best thing she’d done in ages, following Sadie around. She’d felt like her protector, her guardian angel, making sure that nothing bad happened to her on the mean streets of Kellston.

‘That’s nice, dear. Anyone I know?’

‘No. She’s someone… someone I was at college with. I bumped into her again and we were just hanging out. Coffee and that. Her name’s…’ She paused, wanting to say it out loud – Sadie, Sadie, Sadie – but forced herself to bite her tongue. ‘Sheila. That’s her name. She’s called Sheila.’

‘It’s always nice to have friends,’ her mother said. ‘You should invite her round.’

Mona, thinking of the plan that was starting to take a more solid form, gave a nod. Her lips parted in a small secret smile. ‘Maybe I will one day. She’s kind of busy at the moment, though. She’s getting married next year.’

‘Oh, she’ll have a lot to do then.’

‘It won’t be a big do or anything. Nothing flash. They’re not those sort of people.’

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of her father’s voice booming from outside the door. ‘Christine? Are you ready?’

‘Five minutes.’

‘We haven’t got five minutes. I told you we were leaving at seven. The car’s here. Get a move on.’

Christine gave her face one last look in the mirror, made some minor alterations to her hair and rose to her feet. She leaned over her daughter and kissed her on the top of her head. ‘Have a nice evening, darling.’

‘It’ll be nicer than yours.’

‘We’ll be back by midnight.’

As soon as she’d gone, Mona got up and fetched the glass from the dressing table. With her back against the headboard, she sipped on what remained of the vodka and tonic and gazed around the room. She liked it in here. It was pretty and warm and as comforting as a cocoon. Above all, it was the one place in the house, apart from her own room, that was completely devoid of him. Her parents slept separately, had done for years, although sometimes – usually when he was drunk – the fat bastard would lurch across the landing to claim his conjugal rights.

Mona pulled a face. Tonight, she suspected, would be one of those nights. She would hear the padding of his heavy feet on the landing, the two clicks of the door as it opened and then closed again. Why did her mother put up with it? She could have got a divorce years ago, got the hell out of here with a decent settlement and the freedom to do what she wanted. Lots of people got divorced these days. It was no big deal.

The problem was that her mother lacked courage. She had been beaten down, stripped of her ability to think for herself. She was weak and vulnerable and didn’t believe she could survive on her own. Well, all that was about to change. Mona would be brave enough for the two of them. And when it was done, they could sell this vile house and get themselves a nice comfy apartment in the West End, maybe in Bloomsbury or Covent Garden. They’d be happy there, just the two of them.