‘What if it is?’
‘He didn’t volunteer that name, you offered it to him.’
‘I know,’ I say. ‘You’re right, it could be anyone. But what if something does happen to Mia? And I could have helped her, but I didn’t? If I just sat here in your conservatory, drinking coffee? He says time’s running out for her.’
A memory pulses through me, like a half-remembered nightmare. The stink of burning diesel, burning tents, acrid black smoke billowing up into the bright blue African sky.
I type a two-letter response.
OK
Tara leans over and studies the chain of messages again.
‘We should at least tell your police guy, Gilbourne,’ she says. ‘Better still, let the police handle it full stop.’
‘If he wanted the police, he’d have called them already. I can fill Stuart in later.’
I stand up, putting the name of the park into Google Maps. It’s a couple of miles west, nearer the M25 and the Buckinghamshire border. In the direction of where Max lives with Kathryn.
Tara finishes her coffee and stands up too. ‘Come on then, let’s get to it.’
‘Where are you going?’ I say.
‘I’m coming with you.’
‘No,’ I shake my head. ‘He said I had to go alone.’
‘Well ofcoursehe wants to get you on his own, Ellen. But he won’t see me, I’ll hang back at a distance. I can be discreet when I need to be.’
‘You are many things, Tara, but discreet is not one of them. I’ll be fine.’
‘Like you were fine on Tuesday? Like you were fine yesterday?’ She indicates the marks left by the stun gun on the side of my neck. ‘I don’t trust you not to do something silly. It could be a trap, it could be anything. I don’t like it, I don’t like it at all.’
‘It’s in the middle of a park – it’ll be full of people. Nothing’s going to happen. And anyway, you need to pick up the boys.’
She checks her watch. ‘Not for ages yet. Loads of time until then.’
‘I’ll be fine.’ I touch her arm, give it a reassuring squeeze. ‘I need to do this.’
She holds my gaze for a moment, then gives me a slow nod. An admission of defeat. ‘Have you got an attack alarm?’
‘Somewhere at home.’
‘Take mine.’ She goes into the kitchen and returns moments later with a small metal cylinder, the size of a small aerosol. ‘Unlock tab’s here, press the button here to deafen yourself and everyone else in a fifty-foot radius. Best held at arm’s length, next to his ear.’
‘Thanks, Tara.’
She drives me to my house on Claverton Gardens, pulling up in front of my Citroën. We both get out and she comes around to my side, gives me a hug.
‘Can I persuade you out of this?’
‘No.’
‘Then look after yourself. Stay in that park, don’t go off anywhere with him. Call me if you need anything.’
‘Yes, Mum,’ I give her a smile.
‘Silly mare,’ she says. ‘You know what I mean.’
