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spend her days reading and running, cycling and cooking for herself and David.
    Or she could help him with the job and things could go wrong. She could be hunted down by the people who’d put out the contract. She could end up on the SAPS Wanted list, with sufficient evidence against her to send her to prison for life.
    ‘When do you have to do it?’ she found herself asking.
    ‘I don’t know. They said it might have to happen in a week—there’s a strong possibility of that. Or it could be in another month or two. It all depends, but I don’t know on what.’
    She’d given another small, hopeless headshake.
    ‘I really can’t,’ she had told him. ‘No matter what the situation is, I can’t help you.’
    To her surprise, Robbie hadn’t tried to argue with her any further.
    ‘Later, babe,’ he’d said, and then turned and walked quickly away. Within moments he’d vanished into the darkness.
    Getting back in her car, Jade had spun her wheels again as she’d driven hastily through her gateway. Once inside, she had double-locked her security gate and set the alarm.
    Early the next day, she’d booked the holiday and invited David along. In a week’s time, when Robbie came calling again, Jade had decided she was going to be somewhere he couldn’t possibly reach her.

6
    Jade arrived at King Shaka International Airport just as David’s flight touched down. She had to wait less than ten minutes before he strode through the arrival gates, carrying an oversized gym bag that presumably held his diving kit. She couldn’t wait to see him wearing it. The tall police superintendent had a good physique, although she had recently observed a couple of love-handles developing above his hips. But in the tight embrace of a scuba suit, she was sure he would be transformed into Jason Statham.
    A brown-skinned, half-Indian version of Statham, at least, with pale-blue eyes as cold and clear as ice.
    She couldn’t stop a delighted smile from spreading across her face when she saw him. He was here at last. They’d had the occasional weekend away in the past, but this was the first time that they would be on a proper holiday together.
    For a couple of months now, things had been better between them. Good, in fact. And then, the day before she left for holiday, Jade had driven past David’s house in the southern Jo’burg suburb of Turffontein, and had seen the sign that had made her heart leap into her mouth.
    For Sale.
    She’d slammed on brakes so suddenly that her car had slalomed to a standstill. And then she’d backed up and looked again, just to check that what she was seeing was true.
    David was selling his house.
    Up until a few months ago, David had lived in a rented apartment above a garage next to the cottage where Jade stayed. But when his wife, from whom he was separated, had gone to live in Pretoria with their young son, he had moved back into his Turffontein home.
    Jade had left for St Lucia without getting the chance to ask him about the real estate sign. But she hoped that this meant he was going to move closer to her again.
    Perhaps she could even suggest to him that he moved in with her. Even if it was a temporary measure. She’d have to free up some cupboard space; find another place to stash the innumerable lacy scatter cushions that she’d packed away soon after taking occupation of the furnished cottage. But it could easily be done. On holiday in a place like this, while they were sharing a bedroom, it seemed like a good opportunity to suggest such a move.
    David, however, didn’t return her smile. He nodded when he saw her and hefted his bag onto his shoulder as he walked over to her. She was expecting a kiss. She could already anticipate how his stubble would scrape against her cheek, the softness of his lips on hers. But David didn’t put his bag down. In fact, he barely slowed down when he reached her and, instead of the kiss she was expecting, all she got was an awkward hug.
    ‘Good flight?’