Dead if You Don’t

114

Sunday 13 August

22.00–23.00

Mungo was released from the Royal Sussex County Hospital shortly after 10 p.m. He had been thoroughly checked over, and the cut on his ear, and the wound on his neck from the wire noose had been dressed.

As Kipp Brown drove the Volvo SUV out of the grounds, Stacey sat in the rear, in the darkness, cuddling their very distressed son.

‘I’m sorry,’ the teenager said. ‘Are you mad at me, Dad? Mum?’

‘No, my love,’ she said. ‘We are not angry at you. We are just happy to have you back and safe. Aren’t we, darling?’

‘Sure,’ Kipp said, flatly. He would be having a stern conversation with Mungo later about all the trouble and the potential grief he had caused, but for now he was just relieved to have him back safely.

‘I thought — you know — like — you would want to kill me.’

‘Look, you’ve been through a horrendous thing, your mother and I love you very much, all we care about is you’re safe.’

‘Is Aleksander’s dad angry with him?’

‘I don’t know — I haven’t spoken to him. I think the police have been with him much of the time.’

‘Will Aleksander and I go to prison?’

‘No, darling, you won’t!’ his mother assured him.

‘I’ve ordered you a new iPhone,’ his father said. ‘It should arrive tomorrow.’

‘You have?’ Mungo sounded brighter. ‘Wow!’

Kipp drove along Eastern Road, travelling slowly behind a bus. His relief that his son was back with them and safe was clouded by one very big thing. The knowledge that he had against all the regulations taken a quarter of a million pounds from his client account, and that the money was gone — irretrievably, the police had confirmed. What the hell was he going to do?

He was already thinking about the bets he would place tomorrow. His luck had to change.

Had to.

Maybe getting Mungo back safely was the sign?

All his staff would be back at work in the morning. His Chief Operating Officer would discover what he had done and would grill him. The financial services industry was very strictly regulated. There was no way any of his team could risk jail sentences by covering for him. Somehow, he had to replace that money and fast. Very fast.

He glanced in the mirror. In the glare of the street-lighting he saw Stacey’s smiling face. His son looking as if nothing had happened, now that he knew he was getting another iPhone.

Crisis over.

Crisis beginning.

The bus stopped and he slammed on the brakes, very nearly running into the back of it.

‘Kipp!’ Stacey reprimanded.