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white, but the world had lost that magical, romantic glow. Now it just looked desolate and empty. The snow had stopped but the wind was still there. It whipped at her face and stung her skin.
    The cold air hit Rachel straight away and two glasses of wine suddenly felt like four. Her head went woolly, her limbs felt lighter. She suddenly felt stupid. She was stupid. Stupid for believing that good things could happen to her. This whole evening was one she just wanted to forget in a hurry.
    Rachel glanced right then left. There was no sign of Tesla, no sign of anyone. She turned right and hurried towards the Tube station. She just wanted to be home now, curled up in bed, cosy and warm. Someone shouted out behind her, the voice muffled by the snow but still loud in the silence. Rachel turned and saw a man about thirty metres away. He had his hands on his hips, like he’d been running and was trying to catch his breath.
    She noticed the trench coat straight away. Black, knee-length. It was too dark to make out the colour of his hair, but Rachel thought it was brown. Hoped it was. The man started towards her and by the time he’d covered fifteen metres, Rachel saw he was smiling. Five metres later and she could see it was a very nice smile. Charming, relaxed, friendly, everything you’d want in a smile. And then he was standing right in front of her and she couldn’t believe her luck. He was handsome enough to have been an actor. He would have looked great up on the big screen.
    ‘I am so sorry I’m late,’ he said. ‘Work was manic and to top it all I’ve managed to lose my mobile. I had no way of contacting you to tell you I was running late. I’m just glad I caught you in time.’
    The accent was cultured and polished, the voice deep and sexy. Leather gloves, a black wool scarf, classy shoes. Brown eyes.
    ‘It’s okay,’ Rachel said.
    ‘No it’s not. It’s anything but okay. You must have thought I’d stood you up.’
    Rachel smiled. ‘It crossed my mind.’
    ‘I need to make this up to you. Have you ever eaten at The Ivy?’
    ‘Don’t you need to book like six months in advance?’
    ‘I know someone who works there, and I’m guessing with this weather they’ve probably had some cancellations. Look, I’m parked just around the corner. Let me buy you dinner. It’s the least I can do.’
    ‘Okay. But I need to ask something first.’
    ‘Fire away.’
    ‘What’s your name? Your real name?’
    Another smile. This one as warm and charming as before. ‘Adam.’
    ‘Well, Adam, my name’s Rachel, and it’s great to meet you at last.’
    Rachel held her hand out and they shook. His grip was firm but gentle and his touch sent little bursts of fireworks shooting through her nervous system.
    Adam’s Porsche was parked down a nearby side street. He frowned when he saw the parking ticket stuck to the windscreen. Then he peeled it off and stuffed it into his coat pocket.
    ‘One of those days,’ he said with a shake of his head.
    He held the door open and Rachel slid into the passenger seat. She felt sophisticated and elegant, like Audrey Hepburn in one of those old black-and-white movies. Jamie never opened doors for her. Adam gently closed the door, locking her in with the smell of leather and a hint of aftershave. Rachel was grinning to herself. Good-looking and a great sense of humour. Two for two.
    Adam climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled his door closed. Rachel barely saw his arm move. It was just a blur in her peripheral vision. She felt a stinging sensation in her thigh and looked dumbly at her leg, looked at Adam. She saw the syringe, saw his expression change from charming to predatory. She grabbed for the door handle but it flapped uselessly in her hand. She reached for the button to unlock the door but noticed that it had been removed. Her limbs felt like they were made from lead and she couldn’t move her arms. A ton weight pushed her deep into the seat. Her mind was screaming but