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‘You’re right.’ He leaned forward, putting one hand on the roof of the car beside her arm. Almost touching her but not quite. ‘But on this occasion, and despite your remarkable skills, you’ve come to the wrong conclusion. I need to go somewhere and it’s a matter of urgency. So I’d be grateful if you’d forget all about whatever method of physical restraint you’re considering and move aside. I’ll be back in an hour.’
This wasn’t just one of Gabriel’s games, he was serious. Clara took a breath. Maybe this visit he was so fired up about was to a woman friend, in which case her presence would probably not be welcomed.
‘We know how to be discreet, Gabriel. If this is someone with whom you have a personal relationship...’
He gave her a piercing look. ‘The last time I sneaked out of the house to meet a woman I was eighteen years old. I’m going to see a patient.’
‘Do you have to go yourself? Isn’t there someone else available?’
‘No. Mike’s a friend, he’s an army bomb disposal expert who’s helped us out a lot with his expertise. He was injured himself a year ago.’
This was a debt of friendship. There was no way that Clara was going to be able to talk Gabriel out of going.
‘Then we’ll take you and sit outside in the car.’
Gabriel shook his head. ‘Mike has PTSD. Two guys parked outside in an SUV is definitely not going to work for him. He can be a little paranoid at times.’
‘All right. I know that people with PTSD can be challenged by the unexpected, and I know how to respond to that. Let me at least drive you.’
‘You’ll have to come inside with me.’
‘Okay, then, so I’ll come inside. You can trust me, Gabriel.’
He thought for a moment and then nodded. ‘All right.’
* * *
Clara was tight-lipped as she drove. Gabriel didn’t blame her. They could very easily have had that conversation in the house and probably come to the same conclusion. He should give her a little more credit, and realise that the Clara who did her job so efficiently wasn’t so very different from the one he’d seen last night. The one he liked, and trusted.
He called Mike from the car, giving him the registration number of the SUV that Clara was driving and telling him that he wasn’t coming alone. When they drew up outside the house, he ventured some information.
‘Maybe we play down the protection aspect of things.’
‘Yes. Okay.’ Clara was clearly still annoyed with him and Gabriel wondered whether he’d made a mistake. Her brisk, no-nonsense manner wasn’t what Mike needed at the moment. He needed the Clara Gabriel had woken up to three mornings ago.
‘Don’t lie to him. But don’t worry him either.’
‘I know how to handle this, Gabriel.’ Suddenly her voice was softer and Gabriel realised that there was no danger of Mike not getting the Clara who understood. She was just withholding that from him at the moment.
She followed him up the front path, standing back as Gabriel rang the bell. He heard the sound of Mike’s crutches in the hallway, then silence as he checked who was there before he shot the bolts back.
When he opened the door, Mike gave him a relaxed grin, which Gabriel knew was entirely manufactured. He went with the flow.
‘Hi, Mike. This is Clara, she’s working with me at the moment.’
‘Hello. Pleased to meet you.’ Clara’s voice was quiet and would have reassured the angriest of hearts, the way it had been when he’d opened his eyes and first seen her. He’d wondered whether that had been a figment of his imagination.
Mike hesitated, looking her over, and she smiled. Then he beckoned them inside, closing and locking the front door behind them. Gabriel wondered whether Clara had noticed the piece of paper pinned to the doorframe, listing the registration numbers of all the cars parked in the street.
Mike ushered them into the spotless sitting room, and Clara turned to him. ‘I’ll make myself scarce while you and Gabriel talk. Would you like me to make some tea?’
‘You came to make tea?’ Mike shot her an amused look. ‘Sit down and tell me a bit about yourself
.’
‘Okay. Thanks.’ Clara sat down on one end of the sofa and Mike lowered himself into a chair opposite her. The empty leg of his jeans was pinned up this morning, and he obviously hadn’t got around to putting on his prosthetic.
‘Let me guess.’ Mike had played this game with most of the charity’s staff, and Gabriel had hoped he might give it a miss with Clara. ‘Social worker?’
