Page 119 of We Chase Shadows

‘Absolutely sure,’ says Lee.

Amy takes a last look at the body. So where is his gun?

She makes a dash for the treeline.

61

Rosie and Ernesto, arm in arm, approach the reception desk at The Hunter’s Rest.

The young receptionist, her name tag suggesting she is called Tiggy, looks up at Rosie. ‘Oh, it’s you!’

‘It’s me,’ agrees Rosie. Does this Tiggy recognize her as Rosie D’Antonio, or as ‘Steve’s friend’, or even, the Lord forbid, ‘the lady who works with Tony Taylor’s girlfriend’?

‘You’re the lady who had lunch here today?’ says Tiggy. ‘I recognize your shoes.’

‘Yes,’ says Rosie. Elspeth is right. No one young has the first clue who she is. Perhaps she has finally run out of road?

‘I’m afraid your friend left without paying,’ says Tiggy. ‘And she drank a lot of wine.’

‘Of course she did,’ says Rosie. ‘And she’s not my “friend”, she’s my manager.’

Elspeth won’t be Rosie’s manager for much longer. Though will anyone else want to take her on without a book deal? When the only thing extraordinary about her is her shoes?

‘My manager’s the same,’ says Tiggy. ‘He always puts me on extra shifts when he’s sleeping off a hangover in one of the guest suites. How can I help you?’

‘A friend of ours is staying here,’ says Rosie. ‘We wanted to leave a surprise in his room.’

‘I remember my manager leaving a surprise in the room on one of those hangover days,’ says Tiggy. ‘We had to pay the cleaners double. What’s your friend’s name?’

‘Hard to say,’ says Rosie. ‘He won’t be travelling under his own name. He’s … a film star.’

‘Blond hair,’ says Ernesto. ‘Eagle tattoo on his neck.’

‘Ooh, you’re Spanish,’ says Tiggy.

‘It is my pleasure to confirm,’ says Ernesto. ‘Have you seen him perhaps?’

Tiggy gives a little shrug. ‘I’d have remembered an eagle tattoo. I spot things. We had a woman with very big earrings, but that doesn’t help you, does it?’

‘Perhaps we could scan through a few names?’ says Rosie. ‘See if one of them jumps out?’

‘Can’t do that,’ says Tiggy. ‘Data protection. You understand?’

‘I do understand, I do,’ says Rosie. ‘I wonder if I might have a counterproposal for you?’

Rosie dips into her handbag and pulls out a thick money clip, stuffed with twenties. Looking over her shoulder, she slides the money clip to Tiggy.

‘Might this help?’

Tiggy looks at the money, then at Rosie.

‘There’s five hundred there,’ says Rosie.

Tiggy nods and takes the money. ‘That’ll do nicely.’

‘So if we could just …’ says Ernesto, nodding towards the computer.

‘Data protection,’ says Tiggy. ‘Sorry, I just went through this with the lady with the shoes. I don’t know the Spanish for “Data Protection”.’