It took several blinks to banish the stars from Kayley’s eyes. By that time, Harville was sitting on the foot of the camp bed, grinning at them. His face was ghastly in the dim torchlight, and their shadows moved on the opposite wall like sinister doubles.
‘How sweet,’ he said. ‘Getting close. People always say I’m good at bringing people together.’
‘Yeah, a real people person,’ said Deano, struggling to sit up. ‘If the people are deranged psychopaths. Seriously, what the fuck are you playing at?’
‘Oh, I’m not playing,’ said Harville. ‘This is work, Deano. Sheer hard graft. You see, I’ve had to get used to getting my hands dirty, over the years. The Harville fortune isn’t enough to rely on any more. So I need to diversify.’
‘Into drug dealing and kidnap?’
Harville simply smiled.
‘Classy,’ said Kayley.
‘Oh, and you’d know all about class, wouldn’t you? Don’t forget, I have the photographs. Showing your class – and your cunt – to the world.’
Kayley flinched at the harsh language, and she felt Deano tense beside her.
‘Leave her alone. There’s only one cunt in this room and we’re looking at him.’
‘I know my methods seem unorthodox,’ said Harville, unperturbed. ‘But everything is going to work out, I assure you. We can all help each other and then this unpleasantness can be forgotten.’
‘Help? What sort of help?’ Kayley pulled the raggedy sleeping bag over her, unconsciously trying to put as many barriers as possible between her and her nemesis.
‘It’s lovely having guests in the basement, but I know I can’t keep you forever,’ said Harville. ‘The world of rock and roll can’t do without its Diamond, and as for you, Kayley, well, I daresay somebody might be missing you.’
This made her heart drop. The only person she could think of was her dad.
‘So let us go then,’ said Deano.
‘Oh, I intend to. But first I think we need to make a few gentlemen’s agreements.’
‘You can only make those with gentlemen,’ said Kayley. ‘Which leaves at least two of us out of the running.’
Harville ignored her.
‘First of all,’ he said, ‘I want your assurance that you will forget all about the little … incident … upstairs. I never intended that you should get hurt, except as part of my plan. I wish you’d gone along with it, but …’ He shrugged. ‘I’ll get that little scumbag some other way.’
‘I’m not interested in your revenge plots,’ said Deano.
‘But that little shit is fucking your wife. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?’
Kayley felt him wince.
‘Jenna has her own mind,’ he said, but his voice shook a little. ‘It can’t be made up by force. If she wants Jason, then I just have to wear it.’
‘You’ve changed your tune,’ said Kayley in some surprise.
‘Yeah, well, I’m a musician, aren’t I? If I don’t change my tune now and again the fans get bored.’
‘Good point,’ said Kayley, her lips twitching upwards despite their dire circumstances.
‘Where are your balls, man?’ exclaimed Harville. ‘You came here to get her back, for God’s sake! And now you’re just going to sit back and let that dirty little bastard shag her senseless to his heart’s content?’
‘Stop trying to wind me up, Harville. Jenna will get tired of him in the end. All I have to do is wait.’
‘And in the meantime,’ said Harville, taking out his mobile phone and showing the screen to Deano, ‘Jenna’s the hot topic all over the world – for all the wrong reasons.’
Deano tried to snatch the phone from Harville’s grasp, but he held it away, hopping to his feet when it looked as if Deano was going to try to use force.