“Pardonnez-moi.”

Jessica jolted awake.

Someone had accidentally brushed against her, holding a coffee cup. The woman exited the carriage. A passenger sat opposite Jessica, buried behind a copy of the Financial Times. She tensed as she looked about. Where had everyone gone? There weren’t any stops before Paris but the carriage was empty apart from the person sitting opposite: a man, judging by the hands.

She leapt up. The man lowered his newspaper and folded it neatly in half.

“Which part of the ‘you’re not allowed to go to Paris’ order didn’t you understand?” Nathan snapped. “I thought I’d made myself pretty clear yesterday, or don’t teenagers understand plain English any more?”

Ohmigod. She was well and truly busted. She was still debating what to say when he jumped to his feet.

“I’ll let you think about that while I buy us both a cup of tea. You look pretty pale. Do you want a sandwich?” He stared icily at her. “I could really do without you fainting on me right now. Or pretending to faint.”

She shook her head. Judging by the look on his face, he’d probably relish lacing her sandwich with poison.

“Suit yourself.” He patted his jacket to find his wallet.

Jessica looked up and down the carriage for an escape route.

“Sit down,” he growled. “There’s no point trying to run off. We don’t arrive in Paris for another hour so there’s nowhere to go. I don’t want to cause a scene by handcuffing you, but I will if I have to. I’ve already cleared this carriage to give us some privacy.” He gestured to the empty seats before leaving.

She checked her watch. Nathan was right. The toilets were the only place to hide but she couldn’t stay locked inside a cubicle for ever. More MI6 agents could be aboard. She couldn’t jump from the train either. At this speed, she’d never survive. Her best bet would be to try and shake him off when they arrived. She could outrun him in the station.

After a couple of minutes the door slid open and Nathan reappeared, frowning hard. His black mood clearly hadn’t lifted. His mobile was clamped to his ear and a white paper bag swung from his other hand.

“I want results, not excuses,” he barked into his phone. “Do your job or I’ll find someone who can.”

He hung up and tossed the phone on to the table. He passed her a paper cup without looking at her and sat down.

“I expect the tea tastes like mud but it’s the best I can do.”

She watched as he unpacked his own cup and some sandwiches. He shoved a packet across the table towards her.

“I thought you might have changed your mind,” he said shortly.

“I haven’t.” She tossed the sandwiches back with equal contempt. “I’m not going home. My agency’s lined up some jobs for me in Paris. I’m going to be working flat out over the next couple of days.”

“Wow! That’s really convenient. Did you persuade them to do that when you swung by after our little talk?” He cracked the knuckles of his right hand.

She winced. “That’s my business.”

“And yet now it’s mine. I had to warn your dad off because he refused to stay away from Paris. He was jeopardizing our operation. Now you’re being equally obstructive. When will you Coles ever learn to do as you’re told?”

Probably never.

She shivered as he popped the knuckles of his other hand. Her nerves were ragged enough already without having to listen to that godawful sound. She could tell by the smirk hovering on Nathan’s lips that it was a deliberate torture.

“I just want to find my dad,” she said.

“You need to leave that to us. We’re already looking for him. Why do you think I’m going to Paris?”

“To carry on fitting him up for a crime he didn’t commit? You and Margaret seem to be doing a pretty good job of that already.”

Nathan shook his head. “Margaret’s already in Paris, looking for your dad and chasing up potential leads.”

Jessica’s heart leapt. “Has she found out anything yet?”

“That’s classified.”

“Yet throwing mud at my dad yesterday wasn’t? Neither of you has even considered the possibility that my dad’s innocent and got set up, have you?”

Nathan hesitated. “It’s an avenue we’re exploring.”

“Oh great. That gives me lots of confidence. Well, while you’re slowly exploring that avenue, I’ll get on with what I’m doing.”

“No, you will not!” he shouted. He thumped his fist down on the table, spilling his tea.

Jessica jumped. Her eyes narrowed. Who the hell did he think he was?

They glared at each other in silence as the door slid open and a man walked past en route to the refreshments carriage. The door closed quietly behind him.

Nathan leant closer threateningly. “You don’t seem to understand the position you’re in, Jessica. I’m not here to negotiate with you. You either do as you’re told or you’re on the first train back to London.”

Jessica’s eyes welled up. She couldn’t go home without finding Dad. She just couldn’t.

“I understand why you’re doing this, Jessica, and it’s commendable that you’re so loyal to your dad.” His tone was a little softer now. He reached out as if to touch her wrist. “But believe me, it’s time to back off.”

She snatched her hand back. Pretending to be sympathetic didn’t suit him at all. “You don’t understand anything! Do you really expect me to stand back and do nothing while my dad’s out there somewhere, needing help?”

“That’s exactly what I want you to do,” Nathan hit back. “You might have tagged along with your dad on some of his jobs but this is a whole different ball game. People – people who are a lot more experienced than you – are ending up dead. Is that what you really want?”

Jessica shivered as she remembered the image of Lara, lying strangled on the floor. Was he threatening her or simply warning her off? It was hard to tell.

“These are the rules,” Nathan said smoothly. “I’ll let you stay in Paris as long as you behave yourself. Get on with your modelling and stay out of my way. I’ve retrieved a copy of your itinerary from Primus’s computer system so I’ll know where you are every minute of every day. I’ve also placed an undercover agent close to you. If you don’t turn up for something, if you’re even five minutes late, they’ll report back to me.”

“I wouldn’t—”

“That’s good, because I don’t give second chances. You mess up, you’ll be going home in handcuffs to meet my boss, Mrs T. I wouldn’t recommend that encounter. She’s nowhere near as nice as me.”

Jessica snorted. Nice wasn’t a word she’d ever use to describe him. She could think of plenty of other adjectives, though.

Nathan’s eyes narrowed as if he could read her thoughts. He gestured to his mobile on the table.

“Does your grandmother even know what happened to you yesterday? Or that your dad’s gone completely off the grid in Paris? I can ring her right now and enlighten her. It’s your choice. How do you want to play this?”

Choice? She scowled at him. He’d played his trump card. Mattie would kill her if she found out what she was up to. She dreaded her more than the mysterious Mrs T, or even him.

“I can behave myself,” she said finally. God, she hated him.

“Good. In return, I’ll let you know if I find out anything about your dad.” He picked up his paper again.

Jessica stared out of the window. In the reflection, she could see him staring at her with a look of sheer contempt. She didn’t believe him for a second. Why would he tell her anything?