29.

‘Oliver, stay with me. We’re going to the hospital.’

‘No,’ Oliver said, holding his chest, struggling with his words. ‘They’ve got Penny.’

‘Harold needs a doctor right now or he’s not going to make it.’

Oliver noticed then that Harold had dropped the shotgun and collapsed against the fridge. His white and navy striped shirt was entirely painted in his blood.

‘Can you help me lift him? An ambulance will take too long.We’ll get to the car. Stay with me.’

‘I don’t feel too good.’

‘You’re both going to be okay,’ Gabe said, grabbing Harold’s arm and lifting it over his shoulder. Oliver helped him get to his feet and they began floundering towards the door. Despite his head wound, Gabe seemed to be walking well. Oliver felt a tinge of guilt. When he glanced down, he saw Miles on his stomach, a massive hole below his shoulder, trickles of blood merging into a pool abutting his face. His left eye was open, empty, and Oliver forced himself to look away.

‘The Jag,’ Oliver said, grabbing the keys from the hutch. ‘It’s the fastest.’ He began to cough, feeling like he needed to vomit. ‘I’ll drive.’

‘No. Help me put Harold in the car.’

Less than a minute later, Gabe was roaring down the driveway so fast that when Oliver looked in the rear-view mirror, all he could see was a smog of dust and dirt rising to the sky above.

***

At the hospital, Gabe pulled Harold from the car, now wearing half of his blood.

‘Oli, you need to see a doctor right now. I’m not losing you.’

‘I’ve got to get Penny first. I’m all right. I didn’t drink much.’

Gabe shook his head, sternly. ‘No. Please. Just come in.’

‘We’ll be quick,’ Oliver said. ‘You go drop Harold off, we’ll get them the paintings, Penny will be okay and I’ll come back. I promise. I won’t be able to settle in there knowing I’ve sent you into my own mess. If anything happened to you and Penny … mate, I’ve got nothing left.’

Gabe nodded reluctantly. Oliver knew he’d understand. He felt further pain in his stomach.

‘Wait here. I’ll take Harold inside quickly and we’ll go.’

Oliver dipped his head in acknowledgement. As Harold and Gabe disappeared through the hospital’s glass door – he saw two nurses run to them immediately – Oliver clambered across to the driver’s seat and turned the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life.

Everything seemed brighter than usual, but he was able to focus on the road. He felt time passing by slower than normal. Or was it moving faster? It was hard to tell; something, he couldn’t put his finger on what, didn’t feel right.

Turning onto Penny’s street, he could see there was a black Mercedes sitting right behind her Corolla. She was home. And the others were there, also.

Oliver parked, not even taking the keys from the ignition. Hobbled as quickly as he could manage up the path and to the door. Not bothering to knock, he turned the handle and prayed it would open. Seconds later, he was inside Penny’s living room. It was empty. He walked into the kitchen and saw Penny sitting at the head of the dining table, tied up, tape across her mouth.

Before he could approach, someone leaped from behind the door and grabbed him tightly, pressing a knife to his neck. He felt the coolness of the blade across his skin. Was sure, if he could have looked down, it would have drawn a small stripe of blood. Then he heard the sound of high heels click-clacking on the boards.

‘Where are my men?’

‘Winery. I came here to get Penny.’

Penny was trying to speak through the tape, but Oliver could only hear her muffled words. Pleas, almost, like howls from under the water.

‘We’ve already got two of the paintings,’ Madeleine said. The woman from the mugshots, the one Oliver had met briefly at Harold’s. She checked her watch. ‘They were supposed to be bringing you here to me so I could talk some sense into you both. Make no mistake, we will find the Wadani.’

The man let go of him. Oliver started to cough, before falling to his knees and vomiting at the woman’s feet.

‘Please,’ he heaved, ‘leave her out of this. We don’t have any others. Miles killed the men. Killed them both. They’re in the van.’

‘Fuck,’ Madeleine said. ‘Let’s go. Cut her loose.’

Oliver sat down on the ground, everything spinning, before collapsing on his back. The man with the knife walked over and ripped the tape from Penny’s mouth. Oliver watched the way he moved – sprung, agile – and with his last trace of lucid thought he knew it was the same man from the security footage who’d been standing in his shed. The man he had thought was helping Miles. Then he heard Penny scream his name. Could feel everything starting to drift away from him.

‘Oli! We need to get him to a hospital!’

Penny left the room. Oliver could hear her calling an ambulance. He heard the sound of the thieves swearing, slamming the door, the driver moving through the gears as they sped away.

Penny was alive.

He tried to stay awake. Focused intently on keeping his eyelids open. He could smell Penny, feel her warmth in the room. He loved her, and he couldn’t lose her now. Smiling dumbly, he felt a tear sliding down his neck. As his eyes drooped closed, he realised he could still taste wine on his tongue.

Salt.

Something, in the distance.