A paper shamrock.
His eyes flicked up. The shack appeared to be empty. He strained, trying to see more clearly – and then he saw it. On the interior handle of the front door, there was something hanging, with wires embedded in what looked like putty.
Max turned, shouting to the group of men around Annie. ‘Bomb! It’s booby-trapped, don’t touch the front door.’
Annie turned and shrieked: ‘Alberto! Don’t!’
Alberto’s hand was outstretched, about to open the front door. He froze.
They drove back to the Holland Park house, passing the watchers in the car outside. There were other cars parked up in the square, vans, too. Annie moved anxiously into the hall, calling Layla’s name.
It had been a trap. A lure. And maybe, Annie had been saying all the way home from Essex, maybe it had been a diversion, too.
‘They’ve already tried to grab Layla. This could have been a set-up to get us out of the way, so that they could take another crack at her.’
‘Tony’s with her. And Bri’s on the door. And others, out in the road. They’d need a fucking army to get through that lot,’ said Max.
Annie wasn’t convinced. She was deeply shaken by how close they’d come to disaster today. Maybe Rufus and Redmond had an army.
‘Where is she? Layla!’ yelled Annie.
Layla didn’t answer.
The big house was silent.
No Rosa.
No Tony.
And no Layla…
‘Mum?’ She came out of the drawing room, frowning at Annie, who was wild-eyed with panic, at her dad, at Alberto, Sandor and the others. They all stared back at her, speechless.
‘Fuck’s sake, why didn’t you answer me?’ said Annie sharply, but she rushed forward and grabbed Layla in a hug, taking the sting out of the words. For once, Layla allowed the embrace.
‘I was on the phone,’ she said.
‘Who to?’
‘What is this, twenty questions?’ Layla pushed free of her mother in exasperation.
‘Don’t dick me around, Layla. Who were you talking to?’
‘A friend, that’s all.’ Annie kept staring at her. Layla threw back her head. ‘All right, I was talking to Precious, one of the girls at the club. And before that I spoke to Junior.’
Annie shot a look at Max, then back at Layla.
‘Did you tell either one of them where we were going today?’ she asked.
‘Of course not. I don’t blab, you should know that.’
It was true, thought Annie, she should have known that. Layla, unlike many women, was entirely capable of keeping her mouth shut.
Running an agitated hand through her hair, Annie said, ‘Sorry. It’s been a day and a half, that’s all. Think I’ll go up and take a shower.’
As she headed upstairs, Max came and gave Layla a hug. She didn’t push