I started so violently Keane’s foot was dislodged, and he spilled some tea. What the hell was that supposed to mean? A punishment?
‘And I’ll have the leather cuffs too,’ he added. ‘Both sets.’
‘You can’t,’ I said, starting to get up, but Keane was upon me before I’d straightened my legs. He took my shoulders and forced me back down, then held my arms behind my back so tightly at the wrists that I cried out.
‘Steady on, Judd,’ cautioned Ed but he merely grunted in reply.
‘She’ll get what she’s earned,’ he said. ‘And then some.’
‘You’ve got it all wrong,’ I moaned. ‘You don’t have anything to fear from me or Tom. He’s leaving town and I’m just…ouch!…just looking for someone. Not you. Nothing to do with you.’
‘Bullshit,’ muttered Keane, his hot breath in my ear. ‘You wouldn’t know the truth if it whipped your arse raw. Which I might just do for you.’
I heard, rather than saw, the return of Ramani. She put some stuff down with a clatter on a table behind me, then stood over me, handing Keane something that clinked.
‘Hang on to her arms while I fix these, will you?’ he said.
For a small woman, her pinching grip was surprisingly tight. Keane had my wrists cuffed in short order, then he did the same to my ankles.
‘There,’ he said with satisfaction, rising to his feet once more and casting his imposing shadow over me. ‘She’s a live wire, this one, Ramani. Likes to put up a fight. Thanks, that’ll be all.’
I got the feeling he wanted Ramani to think that this was all happening in play. The idea that she wouldn’t approve of having genuine abduction victims in the house gave me a spark of hope. Perhaps I could appeal to her, if all else failed.
‘There you are, and there you’ll stay,’ said Keane with satisfaction. ‘Until we get some sense out of you. Now tell us – when did you and Tom Crowley dream up this little scheme?’
‘It was nothing to do with you,’ I said, tears gathering at the corner of my eyes. ‘Honestly. I just wanted to know what had happened to Mia.’
‘Mia?’
It was Ed who had spoken, and there was a kind of concern, or even alarm, in his voice.
‘Yes,’ I said, turning to Ed, trying to stave off the threat of hyperventilation for long enough to explain myself. ‘Mia. A blogger. Called Mia Culpa.’
‘Oh, lord,’ said Ed.
‘What is this Mia Culpa?’ said Keane. ‘Why do you think I’d know? I’ve never heard of her.’
‘Haven’t you really?’ I said desperately. ‘She had a lover she called J, who was a powerful, influential man. I was sure it was you. She did loads of drawings of him with the face turned away and he looked like you – same height, build, hair…Perhaps you just didn’t know she had a blog?’
‘I’ve told you, I don’t allow blogging,’ he said gruffly. ‘I don’t want people putting two and two together. I don’t need that kind of publicity. You’ve made a mistake.’
‘I’m sure I haven’t,’ I continued. ‘I’m sure J is you. And you sent Mia to this training place called The Academy and she…I don’t know. She never came back? Or you…you did something to her? I don’t know. I want to know. I needed to know – that’s why I asked for Tom’s help…’
‘But this is all bollocks,’ shouted Keane. ‘I’ve got no idea what the fuck you’re on about. You’re making it up. Ed, hand me that cane, I’m going to thrash this nonsense out of her and get to the real truth.’
‘I…don’t think you should do that,’ said Ed faintly.
‘Why not? You got any better ideas?’
Keane grabbed something from the table; presumably a cane. I would have hidden my face in my hands if they hadn’t been cuffed.
‘Don’t hurt me!’ I cried. ‘I’m telling the truth.’
‘She’s telling the truth,’ Ed echoed quickly, over the sound of the cane swishing behind me.
‘What?’ The swishing stopped. ‘You’ve fallen for this cock-and-bull story about a blogger? Come on, Haydon.’
‘I think she’s telling the truth,’ Ed said, his voice still wavering, and quieter than ever. ‘Because I know that blog exists.’