‘Tommy’s had a fall. Stay with him until the ambulance gets here,’ I tell the bystanders outside. ‘And don’t say anything to the press about us.’
They nod dully. I’ve got a certain amount of charisma as a devil that I can influence small groups of people. It’s a handy skill to have in situations like this.
There are lots of wailing sirens in the distance.
Jade looks at me and bites her lip.
‘I said we needed an ambulance, but they may have sent the police as well. I was gabbling a bit. Sorry.’
Hmm, it seems events are really going off on a tangent now. The party is about to get shut down, and it’s not going to look good if we're caught fleeing the scene.
But these places always have an alternative route. I start opening doors. ‘Look for the backstairs,’ I tell her, and she nods and joins me, throwing open doors. There are squawks and protests of ‘Hey, fuck off!’ from half-naked couples who have snuck up upstairs for a quickie.
‘Here!’ Jade calls triumphantly, pointing at a dimly lit twisting stairwell.
‘Good girl,’ I breathe at her, and she gazes up at me with a melting expression. I know she loves it when I praise her, and I’m quite happy to praise her until the end of days. But first, we’ve got to get out of here.
We clump down the backstairs, Ash helping Rach, and come out into the country-style kitchen, which is thankfully empty apart from some platters of vol-au-vents. I point to the kitchen door that leads outside. ‘This way.’
‘Wait, what about Kiki?’ says Jade.
Shit, I forgot about her.
‘She’ll be OK. Leo will look after her.’
Jade gives me a withering look. ‘Really?’
I nod. ‘Trust me. Things are going off-piste, but we have to let it happen.’
‘What does that mean?’ asks Ash suspiciously.
‘It means that Jade might be in for a few surprises when she gets home.’ Speaking of home, I grab one of the half-dozen silver car keys that are dangling from a line of hooks.
I’ve always wanted to drive an Aston Martin.
31
JADE
Afterahair-raisingrideback to Camden (note to self: never ever get in an Aston Martin with a devil!), we’re sitting at the kitchen table, drinking mugs of tea laced with bourbon that Ash found in the cupboard. ‘Good for shock,’ he said.
‘Well, that was a great concert, eh?’ says Sebastian conversationally to fill the silence as we sip and stare at the table. ‘Echo Ministry are the best!’
Rach cringes, and Ash doesn’t say anything. To be honest, I think everyone’s a bit over them. And it’s a matter of waiting and checking the papers to see if Tommy pulls through. Sebastian’s made sure that even if he doesn’t, we won’t be implicated.
Collecting our empty mugs, Rach takes them over to the sink and stands there with her head bowed like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.
It’s OK, Mum, I want to tell her.Your life is going to be so much better without Tommy Rains in it. I promise.
Rach gives herself a small shake and turns, her face expressionless. ‘Well, I might go to bed,’ she says hesitantly with a glance at Ash.
He coughs and looks at me. ‘Is it OK if I stay? Just that it’s late, and the Tube has stopped running.’
I raise an eyebrow. ‘Is that all right with you, Rach?’
She nods once. ‘Yes, I want him to stay.’
Her voice is clipped, but her choice of words has me wondering. Hmm, that sounds like she’s invested. Was there something going on in the back of the Aston Martin? I was more focused on hanging on for dear life as Sebastian took the corners on two wheels.