She turned away. ‘No, it’s all right.’ She took a tissue from her pocket and dabbed her eyes.

‘Come back with me to the house,’ he said. ‘I need to talk to Jeff. Apologise to him for the way I’ve been acting up. And you can rinse out that eye.’

‘Think I’ll stay a while. I like being alone here.’

‘You’re sure? Know your way back?’

‘Found you here, didn’t I?’

As he was leaving, he reached down and touched her shoulder gently. ‘I’m glad you’re my friend.’

He walked away, the dog trotting along at his heel.

Brooke watched him slip away into the trees. Once she was alone, she buried her face in her hands and cried.

Ben walked into the office to find Jeff sitting at the desk filling out some paperwork.

He came right out with it. ‘Jeff, I’m sorry I’ve been acting like a prick the last couple of days.’

Jeff grinned. ‘Yeah, you have. But I forgive you, mate.’

‘I need something to do.’

‘You can finish this paperwork. I’ve been breaking my balls over it all morning. How’s that for a punishment?’

‘That’ll do to begin with,’ Ben said. As he was about to start leafing through the paperwork, his mobile started ringing from the corner of the desk where he’d abandoned it earlier.

‘Aren’t you going to answer that?’ Jeff asked.

‘It’s her.’

‘Better get yourself a new SIM card. Because otherwise you might as well toss that phone in the river, if you’re never going to answer it again.’

‘I don’t know what to say to her.’

‘For Christ’s sake.’ Jeff snatched the phone up. ‘Le Val.’ He listened for a moment, glanced at Ben. ‘Sorry, he’s not available right now.’

There was a pause as Jeff listened to the caller talking. Ben could just about make out the sound of their voice. It was a woman. Zara. He knew it.

‘OK, hold on.’ Jeff pulled the phone away from his ear and covered it with his palm. ‘She says it’s extremely important.’

‘Jeff…don’t do this to me.’

Jeff shook his head. ‘You don’t get it. It’s not Zara. It’s someone called Kim Valentine.’

‘Who?’

‘Says you know her.’

‘I don’t know any Kim Valentine.’

Jeff thrust the phone at him. ‘You’d better talk to her.’

Ben reluctantly clapped it to his ear. ‘Ben Hope.’

‘We need to talk,’ said the woman’s voice on the other end.

‘I don’t know you.’ But, even as he said it, he was thinking he’d heard that voice before.

‘Yes, you do,’ she said. ‘You just don’t know it yet.’

Then Ben was holding a dead phone. ‘She hung up,’ he said to Jeff.

Suddenly it rang again in his hand. He answered it. This time it was a video call, and Ben stared at the woman’s face on the tiny screen.

The image was clear. There was no mistaking it. She looked a little different-now the dark hair was scraped back tight in a ponytail, and she wasn’t wearing makeup. But she was definitely the same woman.

‘Now you know,’ said Kim Valentine.

It was Kerry Wallace. The woman he’d rescued on the beach in San Remo.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ben couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He shook his head in bafflement.

‘We need to talk,’ Kim Valentine said again. ‘There are things you need to know.’

He just stared, said nothing.

‘I know this comes as a surprise for you,’ she said. ‘But it’s vitally important that you hear what I have to tell you.’

‘What’s this about, Kerry? Or Kim, or whatever your name is today.’

‘Forget Kerry. Kerry never existed.’

‘Which means you set me up,’ he said. ‘The whole thing on the beach was a fake.’ Now he understood the reason he hadn’t been able to find her at the hotel. ‘Why did you do that?’

‘That’s what I need to talk to you about.’

‘Then I think you’d better start talking right now.’

She shook her head. ‘It’s complicated. Better that we meet in person. Face to face.’

‘You want to talk to me face to face, you come here and explain yourself. I’m not going all the way back to San Re mo.’

She shook her head. ‘We’re not in Italy any more. We’re in Paris.’

‘Why Paris?’

‘There are reasons.’

‘Who’s we?’

‘My associates. You’ve already met them. One of them is still wearing the neck brace you put him into.’

‘I should have broken his spine,’ Ben said. ‘Maybe I will.’

‘You’ll feel differently when you hear what I have to say,’ she replied. ‘So, will you meet us? I guarantee you won’t regret it.’

Ben hesitated. ‘You’ve already tricked me once. What makes this any different?’

‘I’m sorry it had to be that way, but I had no choice.’

‘I have one,’ he said. ‘I can just end this conversation right now.’ He switched off the phone, and the screen went dark.

‘What was that all about?’ Jeff asked as Ben started pacing up and down the office. Ben didn’t reply. He stopped pacing and gazed at the phone in his hand. He had to know more.

He called back.

She answered on the first ring. ‘Knew you’d call back.’ There was a note of relief in her voice as well as triumph.

‘All right. I’m listening.’

‘How fast can you get to Paris?’

He looked at his watch. It was approaching midday. ‘I can be there this afternoon. Three hours, give or take.’

‘Call me when you get there. I’ll give you the address to come to.’

‘Then I’ll see you later, Valentine.’ Ben ended the call and shook his head, as if to clear it. He let out a long breath.

‘Off again?’ Jeff said. ‘More travels?’

‘You won’t know I’m gone.’

Jeff smiled a long-suffering smile. ‘Don’t worry. I can take care of things.’

They both turned as the door swung open and Brooke walked in. She was wearing a serious expression, and the same black jeans and green combat jacket she’d had on when Ben had picked her up at the airport. The holdall in her hand looked packed. She dumped it on the floor at her feet. ‘I’m leaving now,’ she announced.

Ben thought he could hear a certain coldness in her voice. ‘I thought you were sticking around for a few more days,’ he said.

‘There are things I have to do in London. Better I get back.’

He shrugged. There didn’t seem any point in arguing with her. ‘I’m leaving for Paris in a few minutes. I can drop you off at the airport on my way.’

She arched an eyebrow. ‘Paris?’ she echoed pointedly. ‘Meeting someone?’

‘Yes, I am. But not who you think.’

‘I don’t need a lift, anyway. I already called a cab. They’ll be here any minute.’

‘Thanks for talking to me earlier, Brooke.’ Ben patted her shoulder. But something was wrong. He felt the muscles tighten and she flinched away.

‘Have a wonderful time in Paris,’ she said stiffly.

‘It’s not exactly a pleasure trip.’

‘Whatever.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘I think I’ll walk up to the gate and meet the cab there. See you next week, Jeff.’ She snatched up her bag.

‘Look forward to it,’ Jeff replied. ‘Safe journey home.’

Then Brooke was gone. Ben watched through the window as she marched across the yard with her holdall on her shoulder. ‘Something’s up with her,’ he murmured. ‘I don’t know what.’

‘Don’t you?’ Jeff said with a chuckle.

Ben turned to him. ‘What?’

‘Come on, mate. Are you blind or just thick?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You really can’t see it, can you? She has a serious thing for you.’

‘Don’t be daft. You know Brooke. She likes to flirt and joke around. She doesn’t really mean anything by it.’

‘Doesn’t flirt with me,’ Jeff said. ‘Wish she would.’

‘You’re talking crap. She and I are just friends.’

Jeff lounged back in his chair and cupped his hands behind his head. ‘Whatever you say, Ben. Whatever you say.’