When we’re safely out of earshot, I say: ‘Max seems to have some anger issues.’
‘Yeah. We’ve been keeping an eye on him.’
‘Is that why you’re here? Because he’s a suspect?’
Gilbourne gives me a sideways glance as we walk beside the village green. He has his hands in his pockets and his pace is slow, casual, as if he’s in no hurry to be anywhere else.
‘To be honest, Ellen, I’m more interested in whyyou’rehere.’
There doesn’t seem to be any reason to lie.
‘You know why. I’m looking for Mia.’
‘And what do you plan to do when you find her?’
‘Warn them. Tell them about Dominic Church, about Leon Markovitz, about people coming after her.’
‘You think they don’t know about all of that already?’
I blow out a breath. ‘I have to dosomething. I have to know that she’s safe.’
He considers my answer for a moment. ‘So have you found her?’
‘Not yet.’ When he doesn’t reply, I add, ‘Is this where you tell me to back off, keep my nose out of it again?’
He looks across at me and sighs. ‘I don’t think you’re the sort of person who takes kindly to being told what to do, Ellen. I’m just worried about you, that’s all.’
‘I’m fine. I can’t just sit on my hands waiting for news.’ Something occurs to me. ‘But you know where she is, right?’
‘I do, yes.’
‘How about you tell me, off the record? Since I’ve driven all the way out here.’
‘You know I can’t do that, Ellen. It would be breaching about six different rules.’
‘I thought you weren’t bothered about breaking the rules now and again?’
‘I’m bothered about the victim’s family,’ he says. ‘They need privacy.’
We reach my Citroën; his black Alfa Romeo is parked right next to it. He leans against the door of his car and slides a cigarette out of a packet of Marlboros. I’ve been trying to decide for the last few hours whether to tell him what happened at the rooftop car park today. But now we’re here, together, and I can still feel the tingle of relief that he defused the situation with Max. I make a snap decision.
‘I spoke to Dominic today.’
Gilbourne’s eyes widen, the lighter pausing on its way to his cigarette.
I update him – in broad outline – what Dominic told me earlier. ‘He said she’s in danger, she’s a sitting duck. He asked me to talk to her grandparents, persuade them to take her somewhere else.’
Gilbourne blows out a lungful of smoke with an exasperated sigh.
‘Well ofcoursethat’s what he wants, Ellen. He tried to take her from you and failed. He’s tried to get to her there, and failed again. So he wants Mia to be out in the open, unprotected, where he can try to get to her for a third time. She’s much better off where she is.’
‘So, should she have police protection at the house, some kind of security?’
‘I offered that to the family but they declined. They’re private people. Her grandfather in particular is quite a . . . strong-willed character. Knows what he wants.’ He gestures at me with his cigarette. ‘He’s not the only one. You don’t give up, do you?’
‘I can’t get Mia out of my head.’
He takes a deep drag, blows grey streams of smoke through his nose that drift and dissipate on the evening air.
