Chapter One

It was raining when they buried Kate Rashid, Countess of Loch Dhu, a rain that swept in across Dauncey Village like a solid curtain, sending people hurrying for the shelter of the church. They were all there, the great and the good, to say farewell, their cars blocking the High Street.

General Charles Ferguson's Daimler had just arrived. He sat in the rear with Sean Dillon, who took a silver flask from his inside pocket, swallowed a little Bushmills whiskey and lit a cigarette.

"Are we going in?"

"No," Ferguson said.

"Then why are we here?"

"It's the civilized thing to do, Dillon. It's a great story, after all. The world's richest woman crashing into the sea off the English coast at the controls of her own plane. Her cousin Rupert mysteriously disappeared." He leaned back. "You couldn't improve on it if it was a made-for-television movie."

Dillon took another swig from his flask. "I've said it before, but it's the cold-blooded bastard you are, General."

"Really? I thought that was you, Dillon."

"All right. But I repeat: If we're not going in, what are we doing here?"

"Patience, Dillon. I'm waiting for someone."

"And who might that be?"

"Well, for starters, a good friend of yours." A Mercedes rolled in and braked behind them. "And here he is."

Blake Johnson emerged, ran through the rain and scrambled into the back of the Daimler.

"Great to see yo