In her car, Claire scanned the sham pieces of paper again before placing them on the passenger seat. They were important – they told their own story, and she would get answers. She breathed out heavily and sat still for a moment. With the car radio on to blot her thoughts, Claire drove carefully from the village high street and into the country lane towards the motorway.
The large, white van screeched in front of her. Claire’s reaction was quick – she steered away from the van, and her foot hit the brakes. That reflex movement pushed her sideways onto the thin grass verge. The seat belt held Claire, and the papers she had been carrying fluttered from the passenger seat onto the floor. It was only seconds before a hooded face, heavily shrouded in a scarf, opened her car door.
‘What’s up with your driving to screech right in front of me like that?’ Claire shouted.
‘Keep your hands off the money. I gotta warning for you to leave it alone.’
‘What’re you talking about?’
Claire did not wait for his reply, and she pushed the heavy man away from the door. She hit the button to lock the car doors, reversed in one quick movement and drove at speed away from the van. Her eyes flashed to the file of incriminating papers still lying on the floor.
This was intimidation – Claire had seen how that worked with Harry Stone. Today it raised her anger – she was being conned, and she was going to unravel this swindle.