Gary leads them toward the house. On a large patio, in the far distance, Steve sees Lauren Gough, the schoolgirl extortionist, playing with a friend. They are laughing at videos on the friend’s phone. To his great surprise Steve sees that the friend is Mollie Bright. The girls haven’t spotted this unusual new gang. Helicopters must be a familiar sight here. Steve looks at Gary, and motions toward the girls in surprise.
“You were right,” says Gary. “Your little lecture. When I grew up I had to fight. No one gave me anything. I had to scrap for it.”
“Oh, boohoo,” says Amy.
“But Lauren’s got everything, and she still fights,” says Gary. “Which made her a bully. We’ve been chatting. She wants to be a vet, but she never told me.”
“High suicide rate, vets,” says Rosie.
“I made her apologize to Mollie,” says Gary. “They hugged, and they haven’t been off YouTube since.”
Steve nods. They are now walking around the side of the house, and Steve sees the large gravel turning circle at the front of the house.
“Where are you headed?” Gary asks. “You all right for a lift?”
“Tony Taylor’s coming to pick us up,” says Steve. “He’s just retuned a school minibus.”
“I’m not getting in a minibus,” says Rosie. “No disrespect to anyone.”
“I’ve got a Range Rover,” says Gary, pointing to his Range Rover.
“Thank you kindly,” says Rosie, and walks to the Range Rover. “Did you really used to smuggle cocaine in submarines?”
“No,” says Gary. “Submersibles.”
Gary opens one of the back doors of his car for Rosie, but she stays still, until he shuts it and opens the driver’s door instead. Tony Taylor’s minibus approaches.
Rosie gets into the driver’s seat of the Range Rover. “So I shall see you all in Axley this evening?”
Steve nods. “The Brass Monkey, seven thirty. First question at eight.”
Tony’s minibus pulls up, with the unnecessary flourish of a wheelspin. There is a woman in her early seventies in the passenger seat. She exits the minibus, as Tony walks around from the driver’s side. She is positively glowing.
“You must be Felicity,” says Steve. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“And you,” says Felicity. “Thank you for letting me use your home. I’ve tidied your cupboards for you.”
“Much obliged,” says Steve. “By and large I never open them.”
“And, by the way,” says Felicity, “I love Trouble.”
Steve smiles. “Talking of trouble…”
Tony gives Steve a big hug, then gives Amy a big hug, and then stops in front of Henk, who has his arm outstretched.
“I am Henk.”
“And I’m Tony Taylor. And I believe you’re sleeping on my sofa this evening. I’ve washed the cushion covers.”
“I’ve washed the cushion covers,” says Felicity.
“I didn’t even know you could,” says Tony, turning back to Steve. “What’s the big plan?”
“All will be revealed at the pub quiz,” says Steve, feeling truly relaxed for the first time in a week. “But, first, I have a cat to see.”
As Steve opens the minibus door, he sees Lauren Gough leap down the steps from the front door of Gary Gough’s house. She makes a beeline for the Range Rover.
“You’re Rosie D’Antonio,” Lauren says to Rosie.
“Accept no substitute,” says Rosie.
“You’re famous,” says Lauren.
“I try,” agrees Rosie.
Lauren looks down for a moment, nervous. She looks at her dad, then back at Rosie.
“Can I get a selfie?”
Rosie smiles. Ever the pro.
72
Eddie had a decision to make. Amy, Rosie, and Steve had flown to England; a little bribe at the airfield was enough to tell him that. They’d landed somewhere in the New Forest. Eddie had looked up the New Forest on the map. Lot of trees—the clue was in the name.
So Eddie has headed over too, just to keep an eye on everything.
And no need to tell Rob Kenna this time. Amy Wheeler was someone else’s problem now, so Eddie could concentrate on the job at hand.
