It was Tony who brought Caroline over to the Holland Park house when the police eventually released her. By that time it was gone eleven at night, and a lot of the fight had gone out of her. She looked pale, exhausted and scared when Tony ushered her into the study at the front of the house. Annie was there, sitting behind the desk, and Max was standing nearby. Tony manhandled Caroline into a chair beside the desk and then retreated to the closed door, where he placed himself, an impenetrable wall of muscle.
‘They give you a hard time, down the nick?’ asked Annie.
Caroline said nothing, just looked at her with eyes full of hate.
‘Witness to a murder, taking off like that? You can see they wouldn’t be pleased.’
‘I didn’t see anything,’ said Caroline quickly.
‘That what you told the Bill?’ asked Annie.
‘It’s the truth.’
Annie stared at her. ‘Not so hot then, jumping into Dolly’s shoes before she was even cold?’
‘Shut up, you cow,’ spat Caroline.
‘Tell us what you did see,’ said Max.
‘Nothing. I told them and I’m telling you.’
‘We’re not the police,’ said Annie.
‘I told you.’
‘Tone?’ Annie looked up at him. ‘Come over here and break a couple of her fingers. Just the little ones, we don’t want to cut up too rough yet.’
Tony lumbered over. Caroline shot out of her seat like she’d been launched from a cannon.
‘What the hell?’ she wailed, scooting up against the desk, eyes wide. ‘What did you say?’
‘Oh, come on,’ said Annie. ‘Way I see it, you deserve a few breakages. The way you moved in on Dolly’s patch? You got to admit, that was nasty.’
‘It was Gary’s idea, not mine.’ As Tony approached, Caroline edged around the desk until she was on the same side as Annie. Max was over by the bookcases, watching with arms folded. Now Tony was on the other side of the desk. ‘Wait,’ said Caroline, scuttling behind Annie’s chair. ‘Just wait.’
‘Why? Are you going to stop bullshitting and tell the truth?’ asked Annie. ‘What scared you enough to make you run for the airport? What did you see?’
‘I told the police—’
‘Yeah. Nothing, right? And as I told you, we’re not the police. We don’t have to go by the rules. Go ahead, Tone.’
‘I didn’t—’ Caroline let out a yelp as Tony came round the desk. She darted for the other side, but Max had moved and now he was blocking her path. ‘Oh, come on . . .’ she said, half-laughing, a scared, disbelieving little sound, as Tony came up behind her.
‘Do it, Tone,’ said Annie, and Tony grabbed Caroline’s arm, gripping her hand, which she instantly pulled into a fist. Tony prised out her smallest finger and held it on the desk’s edge.
‘No!’ Caroline screeched.
Annie looked at her. ‘You really think he won’t?’
‘Shit, don’t, please . . .’ Sweat was popping out on Caroline’s face. ‘I don’t, I can’t . . .’
Tony brought his fist down hard. It hit the desk, just an inch from Caroline’s finger. She let out a strangled scream.
‘Next one hits the target,’ he warned, taking aim.
‘I can’t . . .’
‘You can,’ said Annie, her eyes hard as they rested on Caroline’s face. ‘What did you see?’
Caroline threw back her head and let out a sob. ‘I saw him do it!’ she said, and fell to the floor. Tony released her hand and she sat there, crying hard, cringing, both arms over her head.
Tony looked at Annie. She nodded, and he moved away.
‘Tell us,’ said Max, and Caroline finally started to speak.