Page 63 of Savage Redemption

“Adan, you need to tell him the truth,” Rosie pleads. “He can help you. Help us.”

Her faith is touching, if somewhat misplaced. At this point I really don’t know what I’m going to decide about this man who has managed to inveigle his way onto my island.

I raise an eyebrow at Megan, who frowns and shakes her head. “He’s still weak. Maybe in a couple of hours…?”

I’m inclined to agree. I get to my feet. “We’ll come back.”

Rosie, tears streaming again, clings to his limp hand. “I want to stay. Can I stay? Please.”

Again, I look to Megan.

“He needs to rest,” she begins, “but some friendly company may help him to come round.”

Friendly? We shall see.

I decide to let her remain at the bedside. “The guard stays. San Antonio doesn’t leave this room, and neither does Miss Darke without my permission.” I step outside, and more quietly, I murmur to the doctor and the guard. “One of you, use your phone to record their conversation then report back to me. I want to listen to what they say in private.” How better to get a genuine idea of how he is with her? “She says they’re close. I want to know if that’s true.”

“Close? But I thought…” Megan is baffled. She’s not the only one.

“Yes. So did I. Seems there may be more to this than we were told. Keep an eye on them, if you would.”

“Of course.”

“Yes, boss.”

I leave them to it and run into Jack just outside. “Who do we have on the island who can translate from Spanish?” Best to be prepared.

“He considers for a moment. “Nico, I think.”

“Tell him to brush up. We may need his skills. Has Nathan calmed down now?”

“I wouldn’t say that, exactly. I suspect he’s considering murdering both of us.”

“Let’s hope his wife can talk him down, otherwise this could end very badly for him.”

“Yeah. And that fire investigator’s in the hall, asking for you.”

Humphrey Burnside is all I need right now, but best to get it over with. “Right. Let’s go hear what he has to say.”

The fire investigator has become even more pompous and self-important. I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he’s strutting about my hall as though he owns the place. For once, the cavernous space is silent. The children must be playing elsewhere.

“Mr Burnside. How are you getting on?” I enter, my hand outstretched.

He returns the handshake. His touch puts me in mind of a wet cod. “I’ve completed my examination of the site.”

“Good. Now what?”

“Now, I interview the witnesses. I’ll need a list of the names.”

“Jack, could you provide that, please?”

“And a room to conduct the interviews.”

“You can use the library.” That should keep him out of my way.

“I’ll need to come back tomorrow.”

“Really?” I raise one eyebrow but resign myself to the inevitable. “I’ll arrange for a launch to take you over to the mainland and bring you back in the morning. What did your initial examination of the site reveal?”

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