in those woods. So I had to pretend to go along with everything. It was hard. I couldn’t even risk saying anything to Ruth at the hideaway because I didn’t know if she’d slip up and tell Gabriel. Also, all the rooms, apart from the penthouse, were bugged. Gabriel was listening to us all the time.’
That didn’t surprise me.
‘I knew after I disappeared with Ruth that my dad would ask you to team up. And I had installed software on your phone so I knew where you were and could listen to your calls, read your messages.’
Seeing my face, she said, ‘Sorry about that. But it was necessary. If I hadn’t done it . . .’
I shook my head. What did it matter now?
‘I needed my dad to get into the building. Once I’d discovered that you guys were getting help from Wanda, I sent information to one of her researchers that helped her connect Krugman to Gabriel. It was pretty straightforward. My dad was a former cop. I knew he’d make some arrangement with Wanda to call the Feds if he disappeared. Then all I had to do was wait for Emilio to bring you and my dad to the building. I knew they wanted to interrogate you. To be honest, I was kind of winging it after that. You obviously know that I pretended to kill Dad. When I talked to him and left him in a room with a gun, he wanted us to leave straight away. But I told him I wasn’t leaving without Ruth. And I also wanted Gabriel dead. I wanted the cult destroyed so they wouldn’t come after me. So I made a pact with him. If he did as I asked and came into the ceremony as soon as he heard a shot, we could talk about a reconciliation.’
I got up and refilled my water glass. This conversation was bringing it all back. I could really do with a proper drink.
‘Were you upset?’ I asked. ‘When he was killed?’
‘No. I hated him. I was using him.’
But she stared at the counter as she said this and I wasn’t sure if I believed her.
‘What about Gabriel?’ I asked. ‘Are you happy he’s dead?’
‘Oh yes. That gave me great pleasure.’
‘Even though he never faced justice?’
She scoffed. ‘There isn’t enough justice in the world. I told you . . . the way he treated women. The things he made us do. All of us.’ She stared out at the ocean. ‘I hope he felt those bullets. I hope it hurt.’
My phone, which was lying on the counter, lit up. A message from Ruth. She was a little earlier than expected.
I’m home. Can you open Fort Knox?
I went to the door and let her in, and said, ‘We’ve got a visitor.’
Eden had followed me out to the hallway. The two women stood facing each other for a moment, and then Ruth said, ‘Is it time?’
‘It is,’ Eden replied.
Ruth nodded. She was acting like someone who had just been delivered news she’d been expecting for a long time. News that required action.
I looked from one of them to the other. ‘What are you talking about?’
Ruth walked into the kitchen. She reached into a top cupboard and took down a bottle of gin. She poured some into a glass and knocked it back, then refilled the glass. She poured a glass for Eden too.
‘Want some?’ she said to me.
I stared at her.
‘Suit yourself.’
‘Ruth, what’s going on?’ I said.
She sat down at the counter, where Eden had been sitting. Eden stood close by, waiting expectantly. Ruth downed another mouthful of gin.
‘I made her a promise,’ she said to me. ‘When I was tied to Gabriel’s bed.’
I remembered what she’d said about promising to help Eden.
She swivelled on the stool towards Eden. ‘And anyway, I want to do it.’ Her eyes shone. ‘I really want to do it.’
‘Do what?’ I asked.
‘You tell him,’ Ruth said to Eden.
Eden smiled. She was jiggling from foot to foot with barely suppressed excitement. ‘We’re starting our own network,’ she said.
I waited for them to laugh.
I kept waiting.
‘Very funny.’
‘It’s not a joke, Adam. I’m serious.’
‘She’s deadly serious,’ said Ruth.
Eden came over to me. ‘You don’t understand because you only saw the bad stuff. But some of what Gabriel created was wonderful. People helping and supporting each other. Protecting one another. It only went wrong because Gabriel was a megalomaniac.’
‘“Only”,’ I said.
‘And they tried to expand too fast, got complacent. Drunk on power. Plus the whole