“I need the ladies.”

“Yeah, me too. Well, no – I mean.” They began to giggle and as they made their way through the busy crowd the shared humour bound them, made them into a unit. Pauline was reminded again of how empty and lonely her life had become while she had been with George. Unexpectedly anger welled towards her husband and his theft of so much of her life. She pushed it away for it was of no use to her now, but no matter what happened from now on she was never going to give herself away again.

They bought coffee and sandwiches and found a table in a corner near the window and with a clear view of the doors. The coffee was hot and strong and as she sipped it the last little worm of worry began to uncoil and disappear. The tall, bulky man sitting opposite to her wasn’t exactly handsome, but he was imposing, with a charisma that drew glances from passing women. Pauline basked in the silly little glow of pride that came from being with a man who other women admired. If only. The thought brought with it a sweep of sadness because of course this wasn’t real, none of it was based on truth and tears sprung into her eyes with the knowledge that it wouldn’t last. This precious experience would be swept away with the return of normality. She sighed and he leaned towards her, stretching out a hand to touch hers where it curled around the warm cup.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded and dredged up a smile. “I’m fine.” Pete nodded and looked down at the table for a moment. He collected his thoughts and then looked back at her. His eyes were serious but clear and honest and she steeled herself for what was to come.

“Well, put simply, I think we are safe at the moment. I don’t know what happened back at the house though it does prove that there is a leak somewhere in the group I’m working with. I find that hard to accept but there can’t be any doubt now. It means that we have to look out for ourselves. I am heading for a place that is just mine. It’s nothing to do with the job and nobody I work with knows about it. I’m not supposed to have it but…” he shrugged and grinned at her. “Is that okay?”

“Erm, well yes. I don’t really know what you mean… but… what choice do I have?”

“Well, you could go to the police. I could take you. I should do that really; I should hand you over and sort it all out officially, but right now I don’t know who to trust and I’m not very happy to put myself in a position where I’m not in charge.”

“But if we go to your place then what?”

“Good question. I just want to get us safe. Once I have done that I can try and find out who to trust and what the situation is regarding the gang.”

“Pete?”

“Yes.”

“Have you got the diamonds and the memory stick?”

“Yes. I have. The diamonds are not that important but the memory stick is priceless. The information on there could lead to the arrest of a huge gang of people traffickers. It’s taken me a couple of years to get it. I have to be very careful with it. Because of the problems with the unit I can’t hand it over; I have to handle it myself. It’s complicated and really, though it seems hard to say this, it doesn’t actually concern you. Not that side of it; what has happened since the road accident is another issue and we have to sort that out as well.”

“Where is the body, the one from the cliffs?”

“It’s gone. It’s in the ocean.” Pauline’s hand flew to her mouth. “That is something else that we have to deal with. You could just walk away from it Pauline. I know you did what you did because you were in danger. You could just take back your life and carry on.”

She shook her head. “How can I do that? How can I live with that? Is it right that I should?”

“Well, what are your other options? The police in Cornwall searched, they didn’t find a body.”

“But we ran away. Won’t they think that was odd?”

“I’ve been in touch. I had to make sure they kept an eye on your friends at the farm. I told them you were helping us and they were only too happy to wash their hands of it all. Right now the file there is closed, marked for no further action. You can just walk away from it.

“The trouble is the people who came to the house are aware of you. They think that you have the memory stick. So until I sort that out I can’t promise you that you are safe. Will you trust me for just a while longer? Will you come with me and let me try to make it all right.”

“Yes.”

Chapter 44

By the time they pulled off the motorway onto minor roads the day was fading. Yellow lights from the windows of roadside houses pooled on pavements and verges and commuter vehicles mustered on overcrowded drives. The world settled into evening.

Pauline didn’t recognise the area. They drove though a small town. A carbon copy of so many others. The main road carving the centre into north to south was lined with ubiquitous retail outlets and fast food restaurants: it was Everywhere and Nowhere.

Out at the other side of the built up areas gentle hills rose away on either side. The illumination from an occasional grand home or farmhouse shone out, oases in the deepening darkness. It was peaceful and calm in the warm car with Pete beside her and Pauline felt that if they drove on forever in this half dream state she would have been happy to accept the endless journey as her fate.

After another hour, when they were far out in the country, he turned off the road and bumbled down a rutted track. Trees lined either side of the narrow lane with the occasional gateway the only evidence of intermittent human activity. He pulled into one of the openings, turned off the lights. The engine was the only sound gently thrumming into the stillness of a late summer night.

“Is this where we’re staying?”

“No, no of course not. I just want to make sure we’re on our own.” The flash of his grin in the dark interior soothed her nerves. This was what he did; he was calm, in charge and everything was under control. Pauline settled back into the seat and closed her eyes. She felt safe.

When Pete was happy that no-one had followed they drew back out and travelled the last mile down the country road. He climbed from the car and pushed open a wooden gate.

“Pass me that torch will you.” Pauline passed him the heavy flashlight from the parcel shelf and he left her in the darkness. As he made his way down the short drive the cone of light swung back and forth through the tiny garden towards the darker shadow of a building hunkered down amongst the trees.

She could see him in the distance as he walked down a side passage. Then for a while she was in almost total darkness as he checked around the back emerging at the other side and at last joining her back in the car.

“Okay. It looks good. Welcome to my place.” He smiled at her across the narrow space and her heart flipped and she acknowledged at last what she already knew deep inside. She was attracted to him, this man about whom she knew nothing and who she had met in the most horrible of circumstances. She was drawn to him and his nearness in the darkness excited her.

The thought of going into a strange house with him now, alone, caused a thrill that had been, until now, a memory of other days.

He took the car around the back of the building and parked it hidden among overgrown bushes. The path to the little door was gravel winding between what was probably a rough lawn. Here and there a shrub hunched, darker grey than the ambient dimness, but the scent was of wildness rather than roses. It was wonderful.

The great key he pulled from his pocket slid smoothly into the lock and in moments they stepped onto the flagged floor of a large space. Pauline waited quietly in the doorway as Pete moved with the ease of long familiarity into the house. The click of a lighter and flicker of a tiny flame grew into a golden glow as he lit the wick of an old hurricane lamp which sat on a heavy wooden table.