Angel of Death

‘It’s fine, thank you, you’re very kind.’

‘I just want you to be safe. They won’t get at you in here. It won’t occur to them that you’ll be staying with me. Or to Alex, I hope. He’s been trying to see you ever since you left the island.’ He looked at his watch. ‘I’ve got to go in to work, I’m afraid. You won’t be nervous, alone, will you?’

‘No, I’ll be fine.’

‘Good. Before I go, can I get you a meal? My freezer is well stocked, or there’s a Chinese restaurant in this block. It wouldn’t take me five minutes to get you something from them.’

She shook her head. ‘Thanks, but I’m not really hungry.’

‘Well, if you change your mind, take what you like from the kitchen. I’ve got plenty of stuff in the freezer, frozen foods, chops, a couple of steaks, I think, and I’ve also got eggs, bacon, salad, vegetables – everything you could need. Just help yourself.’

He left, warning her not to leave the flat or open the door. She watched television for an hour, then rang her mother.

‘Where have you been? I was getting worried,’ Dorothy Knox said. ‘I had a call from that Greek, Pandora’s brother, saying you had left Greece and asking if you were with me. He wants you to get in touch with him, he needs to talk to you.’

‘I don’t need to talk to him,’ Miranda said flatly.

Surprised, her mother asked, ‘What’s this all about? I thought you were nicely settled over there – why have you left so soon? Have you quarrelled with Pandora’s brother? What about Pandora, how is she?’

‘She’s OK, as far as I know; I haven’t spoken to her for a week. She’s still staying in bed all day, and getting pretty bored, but at least the baby is stabilised.’

‘What about the brother? What’s he done to make you so cross?’

‘I don’t want to talk about Alex.’ Miranda sounded stiff and sulky.

‘Oh. I thought you liked him.’

‘I did. Now I don’t, but I really don’t want to talk about it, Mum. Honestly. Please, drop the subject.’

Reluctantly Dorothy did, asking instead, ‘Where are you?’

‘London, I can’t tell you where, it isn’t safe. Did you know Sean Finnigan has been charged? But the trial may not happen for another year, maybe even two – it takes forever to come to court, apparently. It’s going to make life difficult, because I can’t risk them finding out where I am. They had another go at killing me on the island.’

Dorothy was horrified, her voice shaking, ‘Oh, my God! What happened?’

‘They tried to drown me.’

‘How terrible – where? I mean, in your bath, like that poor girl, or . . .’

‘In the sea.’

‘Who did it? It wasn’t Terry Finnigan, was it?’

‘No, it was two Greeks. He must have hired them, though. Who else would want me dead?’

‘It couldn’t have been an accident? I mean, are you sure they meant to kill you? What exactly happened?’

‘They caught me swimming, dragged me into their boat, tied me up, hand and foot, and threw me in the sea miles out from land. It wasn’t an accident, Mum. No way. They meant to kill me.’

‘Were you hurt?’

‘I had sunstroke and I was in shock, but otherwise I wasn’t hurt. But it was scary.’

‘It must have been. You poor girl.’

‘The most amazing thing happened, though. I was floating out there, in the middle of the sea, when I was rescued by . . . you’ll never guess what! Dolphins!’

‘Dolphins? What do you mean, rescued?’