As the Range Rover’s door closed behind them, Morgan was about to ask De Villiers what he wanted to speak about. Instead, he watched with surprise as the Colonel slammed his fist into the headrest of the empty passenger seat.
“Bastards!” he snarled. “Spineless, gutless bastards!” He punched again, breathing heavily. “They’ll pay for this — Lewis is one of mine.” The head of royal security inhaled deeply. “An attack on her is... It’s an attack on the Crown, Morgan.” De Villiers shook his head. “And Cook? She was awarded an OBE for what she did in Afghanistan. She’s done as much for her country as any other person.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Morgan asked, his manners blunted by emotion.
“Why?” De Villiers choked, as if it were obvious. “Because I want to help you.”
“You can’t help in this. Our work for the Princess is over. We found Sophie. We found her killer.”
“It’s over, is it?” De Villiers shook his head. “Not when Lewis is in the hospital it isn’t. Not when...” He left Jane Cook’s name and fate unspoken. “Look, Morgan, you may not have the highest opinion of me, that’s clear enough, but I am a soldier — a British soldier — and we believe in honor and justice. Someone out there has murdered a former army officer, and badly beaten one of my police officers. I want whoever did it found.”
“Then look for them.”
“I don’t need to, because you already know who it is, don’t you? You’re like a bulldog straining at the leash, Morgan. You’re not sniffing for clues — you’re ready to tear out a throat.”
“I don’t know who it was,” Morgan lied.
“Bullshit! Total bullshit!”
“And what if it is bullshit? Do you think I’d tell you, so that you can get in my way?”
De Villiers laughed. “Get in your way?” He shook his head. “Morgan, Lewis is family to me. I want to help you. I want you to find these people before anyone else does. Do I have to spell out why?”
Morgan looked into the officer’s eyes, and believed him — De Villiers wanted justice. The kind that couldn’t be delivered in a British courtroom.
“No,” Morgan answered.
“Good.” De Villiers nodded with finality. “Now. I expect you’ve been wondering where to find a gun?”