Part 30 (1/2)

Hannah nodded

'I' froun to Nate

'Mu?'

'It's Sebastien, sweetheart I' to let him in'

'What if it isn't? What if it's the Bad Man?'

'I don't think it is Moses wouldn't ride in a car with the Bad Man, would he?'

'What if he trapped Moses in there with hi Sebastien in, I want you to watch Moses very carefully If he starts acting strangely hostile I want you to nod at Daddy He'll knohat to do OK?'

'Please be careful'

Hannah went to the front door, seeing the distorted shape of Sebastien's head through the central bulb of glass She hesitated, hand on the latch, and then she opened it

Sebastien stared at her, his emerald eyes unreadable 'Your father's favourite Bordeaux'

'Chateau Latour The na'

'Cyrus' He blinked 'Where are the others?'

'Follow reet hi's head He turned to Nate, noticing first the pain in his eyes, and then the blood 'hellfire They've torn loose'

'Kind of bad ti,' Nate replied

Sebastien turned back to Hannah 'What happened?'

'I don't know yet What's worse, Seb, I don't even kno you fit into all this'

The oldyesterday, near your cottage Quite a party you were having Not exactly the her on?'

'Riding? Riding what?'

'Answer the question, Seb Who were those ood that you're suspicious But there's a time for that You need to tell me what happened here So I can help Your husband is injured We need to-'

Nate lifted the barrels of the shotgun 'Answer my wife'

Sebastien hesitated He looked from Nate to Hannah, and then back to Nate 'bloody-minded, the pair of you,' he snapped 'Fine I didn't realise you were spying on ht you'd severed your ties,' she said

'I had'

'So what? That was just a social visit?'

'Of course not I contacted theht be able to help'

'Just one of them?'

'That's what I said'

'And yet two showed up Some confidence, Seb How many others know about us noonder?' She paused, expecting a reply, but he reht want to be consulted about that? It didn't occur to you to ask us about involving another one, two, three or however the hell manyto help,' he said quietly His tone was so incongruous it made her pause, and with sudden clarity she realised how deeply she had wounded hiht to do what he had done She was absolutely right to be furious with hione back to town They've rented a place there'

'You tell thehtened 'Can I examine your husband now?'

Then, upstairs, Hannah's phone began to ring She had left it on the dressing table 'I need to get that,' she said 'It could be hio'

Sebastien moved to the door 'I'll do it'

Hannah locked eyes with him Then she stood aside and let him pass She listened to the tread of his boots as they , across the first-floor hall Above, the bedroom door creaked A loose floorboard squealed

Hannah moved to theShe scanned the nearby hills, the river, the road No one No people No animals No movement Sebastien's Defender stood on the track, silent and alone

Upstairs, the phone stopped ringing A thump Another creak, followed by footsteps back down the stairs and across the hall Hannah opened the door and Sebastien slipped into the room He handed the phone to her

She checked theNo number had been recorded She was about to put the phone on the dining table when it rang in her hands

Hannah stared down at it, watching it warble and vibrate She wondered what chance there was that her father was calling Silly to torture herself Thu the call button, Hannah raised the phone to her ear She heard empty static And then a voice

'This isn't really working out, is it?' Jakab said

'If I'd had another half a second to aim, it would have worked out a lot better'

'Ouch' He laughed 'Come on, this isn't like you'

'You don't know me'

'I feel like I do'