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‘Let’s put this away, huh?’ he said, and tucked it into the handbag she had over her shoulder. His gaze moved past her then, towards Martin, and Martin looked away. He felt like some kind of a voyeur, despite their decision to play out their little scene in front of him.

He found himself thinking about that speech of the boy’s as he walked away. Memories of Fionnan took the place of his brief concern for the young woman, and he was too busy yearning for someone to look out for him to worry that the young man might have been controlling her.

The person who came, perhaps, the closest to doing something– to stepping in– was a waitress named Rachel Skoulding. She’d been working for four hours by the time the crowds started assembling along the riverbank for the fireworks display and she was really ready for a break.

Handing out champagne at the start had been fine. She’d actually kind of enjoyed smiling at everyone and welcoming them to the event– even when she had to keep going and refilling her tray or holding it steady when people grabbed at glasses and spilled some.

It was all this clearing up of glasses she didn’t really like. Trying to squeeze past students while they seemed oblivious and pick up the sticky, half-empty glassware from the weird places everyone had stashed them.

She’d thought there would be more glamour to the job, if she was honest. Everyone had told her it’d be ‘an experience’, including her older sister, who worked for the college. She just hoped getting to wander around and eat stuff on her break would make it worth it.

She was clearing glasses from the cabaret tent when she caught sight of Anna. She didn’t know her, of course, and she never heard her real name spoken.

To Rachel, Anna was at first just the silent one standing between a jubilantly affectionate brunette girl and a ridiculously handsome guy with floppy hair.

‘Will you be OK, James?’ the brunette was asking the handsome guy, her head against the blonde girl’s arm. The brunette looked, Rachel thought critically, off her face on MDMA. ‘With the minute’s silence and… everything?’

Rachel was listening in at this point because she wanted an excuse to talk to the handsome guy. To this James. But after she’d positioned herself for a proper look she found herself staring. And not at him.

The tall blonde woman in the silver-and-black dress looked… terrified.

She was sheet-white, and standing absolutely stock-still between them, looking like she wasn’t on the same planet. The person she was looking at– staring at– was an older guy across from them.

Rachel retrieved the glass she’d been bending to get and turned to look at the other guy.

He looked… odd. Like he was in a film instead of just being one of the guests.

He was maybe forty, but not bad-looking either, and clearly buff.

His way of standing advertised that he worked out.

And even though it was dark, he was wearing sunglasses.

Why’s she scared of him? Rachel thought, her skin prickling.

But while she was trying to make sense of it two other guys came over. They were student age, and not threatening-looking, but they looked like they could handle themselves in a fight. She felt better, seeing them arrive.

If she’s worried about this guy, they can look after her , she thought.

The blond newcomer slid his arm round the girl in the silver-and-black dress and said, ‘OK, all set. Time for some fireworks.’

The group moved, blocking the silver-and-black figure from view. But Rachel could still hear it when the girl said, ‘Is this how it happens? Is this how you murder someone in public?’

She felt her heart jerking at that. Why was she saying that? What was going on?

‘What…? Are you OK, Aria?’ It was the guy who’d put his arm round her. ‘You look seriously out of it. Did you take something? Fucking hell, your pupils…’

Rachel glanced back towards the man with the sunglasses. He took a step forwards, and then stopped.

Did he… give her something?

‘She needs some water, that’s all.’ It was a loud, firm comment. Surprisingly so, coming from James, the super-hot guy she’d first caught sight of. He’d seemed kind of shy, before. Her type. ‘Come on, Aria,’ he was saying now. ‘I’ll get you sorted out. You guys find us somewhere to stand.’

Rachel found herself frowning at them, watching as James looped the blonde girl’s arm round his shoulder and started steering her away.

She looked barely able to walk. She was leaning heavily against him, and when she briefly glanced back towards the guy in sunglasses it was with wide, terrified eyes.

She’s definitely taken something , Rachel thought, feeling a shudder run down her spine. Not party drugs, though. Unless she’s just taken too much?

She thought about stepping in. About telling them this woman needed help.

‘Look, I should be the one taking care of her,’ the blond guy said.

‘Honestly, I want something to take my mind off the sodding fireworks,’ James shot back. ‘It’ll take me five minutes to take her to get some water. Please.’

The blonde girl turned and grinned at the other guy. ‘I’m OK. Don’t need looking after. Just need a little H2O. See you in a second, Kit.’

OK , Rachel thought with a feeling of intense relief. She’s OK.

The taller guy, Kit, seemed torn for a moment, but then gave her a nod and a smile.

‘OK. Bring me back a champagne, will you, James?’

‘On it,’ James called, already leading the girl away.

Rachel watched them weave away across the grass, illuminated by the fairy lights and orb lights around the bar. And then they crossed the boundary of the lit area, and the two of them vanished into shadow.