Henry knocked on the door of Beckett House and waited to see if the old woman would answer. He was pretty sure that she would. Megan was waiting in the van for him. He’d told her he wanted to check something out next door. He didn’t tell her it was the cellar and she didn’t question him. When he had Annie, he wanted it to be like the first time around. He needed Annie to know that she may have won once, but it was still going to end in the same way. She had only managed to prolong the inevitable.

The vestibule door opened and she shuffled into sight. He smiled and waved at her and, once she realised who he was, she smiled back and opened the front door.

‘Morning, Miss Beckett, and what a frosty one it is. How are you today?’

‘I’m fine, thank you, Henry. How are you? Has your car broken down again?’

He smiled. She’d even thought of his excuse for him.

‘Yes it has. I’m really sorry to bother you.’

‘Come in. Don’t worry, it’s not a bother. You know where the telephone is. Help yourself.’

She turned and walked into the house and he followed her, smiling to himself. He paused at the telephone and she carried on into the kitchen. He looked at the cellar door and the number of padlocks and bolts on it and wondered what secrets that cellar held to be so well secured. Once more he rang his own mobile, which was on silent, and left himself a voicemail, then he walked to the kitchen.

For a moment he wondered if he should leave the cellar, leave the woman and just use the boathouse, but it just wouldn’t be the same. She was pouring hot tea into a cup, so he sat down and took it from her. They talked about the weather and how expensive cars were. Martha was obviously glad of the company. She clearly found it refreshing after all this time to be able to sit and have a proper conversation with such a polite man, while Henry was in turmoil about what he should do with the old woman whom he had a bit of a soft spot for.

When Henry jogged back to the van, his normally white face was flushed red. Megan, who was drumming her fingers on the dashboard, took one look at him and frowned. He opened the door and got into the driver’s seat. ‘What’s the matter, my flower? You look unhappy.’

‘Nothing. I was worrying. You’ve been such a long time.’

‘You shouldn’t worry about me, Megan. I’m capable of looking after myself. You don’t think a frail old woman is a match for me, do you?’

He drove off. ‘Let’s see if we can find somewhere to park near the café and see if she drives past on her way to work. You never know, she might even call in for her coffee. If my planning is right she will be on the same shift. Once she’s gone into the station we can find somewhere to hide nearby, ready to follow her, and then take her at the most convenient time.’

He parked next to a monster of a Range Rover in the small side street near the café and turned the engine off. As long as it didn’t move, this was perfect. He could just see the cars that went past, but he was hidden from their view. He had no idea whether or not they would be on to him or know what vehicle he drove, but there was no point risking it. Far better to be cautious than take it all for granted.

‘Megan, why don’t you go and get us something to drink? I could do with some caffeine flowing through my veins. It might calm down the adrenaline that’s already filling them.’

She didn’t speak but got out of the car like a good girl, slamming the door shut behind her. He flinched. She knew he hated that, but it was okay. He would remind her about it later. She was definitely a different girl from the one who had so eagerly wanted to fuck him and help him kill those two women. That was why he was glad he had never married. Women. They couldn’t make up their minds from one day to the next what it was they were going to be happy with.

About the same time as she came out of the coffee shop with two large coffees, Henry saw the shiny, brand-new Mercedes come to a stop outside and put its hazard lights on. He felt the blood rush to his head when he saw who it was getting out of the driver’s door. So it was Annie who had that big, flash car – not her boss, whoever that was.

He watched, frozen to the core, as Megan came out of the door and Annie held it open for her. Megan looked at Annie and smiled. There was a brief conversation between the pair of them and then she went inside and Megan carried on walking towards the van. He didn’t see the much older BMW that had stopped further down the street with Will and Jake inside. He was too busy trying to see Annie through the steamed-up window of the café. ‘Do you think we should drive around and grab her when she comes out of the café, or is that too risky? Is it very busy inside?’

‘Not too busy, but I think you’d be very foolish to try and get her right now. You would be stopped before you even got out of the town. For one thing, the manager in there has a massive crush on her and would run after you, and he’s a very good runner. Plus it’s too open and we stand out too much.’

‘I suppose you’re right. What did she say to you, Megan? I can’t believe that she talks to you and hasn’t realised who you are. She’s obviously not as clever as I gave her credit for. We’ll wait for her to go to the station, but at least I know which car is hers now.’

***

Annie watched the girl walk off with the two coffees and wondered why she thought she knew her. She seemed so familiar. It was probably because she had spoken to her a couple of times on her last visits. She knew Will would go mad with her. They hadn’t agreed that she should stop here on the way, but call it her sixth sense or whatever it was – something had told her she needed to call here. She ordered five coffees. This time Gustav didn’t insist on giving them to her for free, which was fine by her. The man had to make a profit sometime. He did come around to talk to her, though.

‘Gustav, how long has Meg worked here for?’

‘Not long – a couple of weeks. Why do you ask that? Don’t you like her?’

‘No, I mean yes, I like her. It’s not that. There’s something about her that makes me feel as if I should know her. Do you know her surname?’

‘Blah, I don’t remember the details. I only know most of my staff by name because of those name tags they have to wear. I have a memory that is entirely not fit for purpose, my lovely Annie.’

‘I think I need to know what it is. Can you ask one of the others or check her details for me? You will have them on file somewhere, won’t you?’

He turned to the man who was in charge of the menu today. ‘Stan, what’s Megan’s last name? Can you remember off the tip of your tongue?’

As Gustav repeated the name Meg Tyler, Annie felt her blood freeze and the room begin to swim. She turned to run towards the door of the shop and out into the front street, which was beginning to get busy. She pulled out her phone and rang Will. ‘Where are you? Did you see that girl I was talking to less than five minutes ago? I think that’s her. It’s Megan. She’s been working here right under our noses. I talk to her, for Christ’s sake. We need to find her because she had two cups of coffee in her holder, and if she’s nearby I can guarantee that so is he.’

Annie spotted Will’s BMW parked further down the street on the opposite side. He and Jake jumped out and came running across the road to where she was standing.

‘Can you see her?’

All three of them scoured the street and the cars that were parked nearby, but none of them looked familiar and there was no sign of the girl.

‘Fucking hell, we had our chance then. Right, can we get to the station, because not all of us have equipment with us? But I’ll tell you something: they must be around here somewhere waiting. So that means he’s watching.’

Will walked back into the café with Annie where she was met by a puzzled Gustav holding two carriers full of coffee. She took them from him and thanked him. Taking a moment to look Will up and down he leant and whispered into her ear.