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I stay silent after that. I have no phone on me. No bank cards. I was in such a rush to get to him that I left with nothing on me. Not even my coat. But I’m not cold – I’m too warm.
Without warning, he takes a sharp left and pulls up outside an old church. There’s a park on the other side of the road,empty at this time of night. And there’s no one walking down either pavement.
He turns to me. ‘Talk, then. What do you want?’
For a moment I’m frozen, my mind unable to compute that I’m in a car with this man. A man who wants me dead. Then I think of Poppy and I find my voice. ‘Why are you following me?’
He stares at me, chewing gum. ‘I do what I’m paid to do.’
‘By who?’
‘Do you really think I’m gonna tell you that?’
‘Then why are you talking to me now?’
He reaches into the glove compartment and pulls out a packet of cigarettes, throwing his gum out of the window before he places one in his mouth. ‘You came tome. Invadedmyspace. I have to put that right.’ Opening the window, he lights his cigarette and takes a long drag. At least he has the decency to blow the smoke out of the window. ‘I’m working out what to do,’ he says. ‘This wasn’t supposed to happen.’
‘You could have run me over just now. Why didn’t you?’
He laughs. ‘Really? Right there in front of all those houses? Did you see how many lights were on? All it would take is one person to be looking out. People are nosy. I’ve noticed that. No one minds their own business.’
I look around. This street is different to Taylor’s. No houses. Just an empty church and a locked playground.
My pulse quickens. ‘I’ll give you fifteen thousand pounds,’ I say, sickened by the large amount I’m offering. ‘If you’ll tell me everything and then stay away from me. Pretend you’ve never met me or my husband.’
He turns to me, but a few seconds pass before he responds. ‘You must be desperate,’ he says, inhaling on his cigarette. He turns to the window to blow out the smoke.
‘Please. I know that’s more than my husband offered you.’
He frowns. ‘It is.’
My chest constricts, and I struggle to catch my breath. So this is real.
‘Will you…will you take it, then?’ I manage to ask.
‘Where is it? I know you aren’t carrying fifteen grand around with you.’
‘I don’t have that kind of money on me. I’ll need to withdraw it from the bank. And not all at once. But you have my word, I’ll get it to you.’
He grabs my wrist. ‘Don’t fuck me about. I don’t like playing games.’
‘I’m not, I swear.’ I try to pull away from him but his grip is too strong. ‘Let go of me!’
He drops my arm. ‘You’ve got three days,’ he says, blowing smoke into my face. ‘No longer.’ He flicks his cigarette out of the window. ‘Get out.’
‘Wait. Please just tell me what Max said.’
‘Money first,’ he says. ‘Now get out before I change my mind.’
I open the door and clamber out, wincing in pain. I’m already dreading the thought of walking back this late along these cold, dark streets. But now I don’t even know if my body will get me there.
I lean into the window. ‘How will I find you? When I’ve got the money?’
‘You won’t. I’ll find you. I think you know by now how easily I can do that.’ He slams his foot down on the accelerator and I watch him disappear around the corner.
It takes me a moment to compose myself and I stand alone on an unfamiliar road, without my phone, and with only the vaguest idea of how to get back to Taylor’s flat.
Sarah’s looking out of the window when I make it back. I try to walk normally, so that she doesn’t notice the pain I’m in.
