“A temper,” she repeated, all her breath leaving her body at once.
He supported her out onto the landing, the ore parcel under his other arm. They travelled home in silence, Mimi trying to stop shaking, John gripping the ore for dear life.
In the drawing room, they downed large brandies before speaking.
“I thought you were going to leave me there,” Mimi said.
“No. I wouldn’t do that.”
John put the glass down and sat next to her on the sofa.
“You would, though. I don’t understand. It’s exactly the kind of thing you would do. Exchange me for what you want.”
“No, it isn’t. I might be a pragmatist but I do have values, Mimi. Don’t look so surprised. You are mine, and it is my instinct to protect you.”
“Is it? Am I?”
“You know you are. And you’re lucky I’m patient too. I’m waiting for you to acknowledge it. I know you will in the end.”
Mimi’s hand reached for him, wavering in the air before dropping to his forearm.
“You killed a man for me. I mean, I don’t approve of murder, but I’m…impressed…by that.”
“Yes, well, I’m pretty impressive.” The attempt at lightness didn’t quite work. John’s fingers caught Mimi’s, wrapping them round.
“I really think I want to kiss you,” she said.
“You always want to kiss me. You just have this tedious way of blocking your own desires. Shame it took murder to unblock them.”
“Sorry. This is all weird. I think I’m in shock. But I really do want to kiss you. Right now.”
She ducked towards John, seeking his lips, but he withheld them.
“Your timing’s terrible,” he told her, standing and pulling her up after him. “I have to use this ore now. And we’ll have to hole up in the basement. Once Dmitri’s body is found… Though I hope Valery will have the sense to try and keep things quiet. They’re here on false passports, after all.”
“We’ll get arrested.”
“Not if we stay in the basement until the machine is complete. And I can handle the police. Trust me.”
“That man’s dead,” Mimi said, as if it had only just occurred to her.
“He’s no loss to the world, believe me.”
John was dragging her down the stairs now, heading for the basement with grim determination.
Once the lights were on, Luana rose up from her corner cot, red-eyed and anxious.
“I have it,” he said to her, and she subsided with a sigh of relief, reburying herself under the blankets.
Mimi sat down on the chair John had secured her to on that memorable day and watched him busy himself with circuitry and computer coding. The mysterious ore which had caused so much fuss was crumbled between his fingers and rubbed on some filaments, causing the machine to start hissing.
“So close now,” muttered John, intent. “So close. Almost there. But I need time. They’re getting nearer.”
“Who are?” Mimi asked, still trembling to her considerable irritation.
“The Rixxar. On the outskirts of Neptune. They won’t take much longer. I have perhaps two days to get this machine working and the ozone layer fixed.”
“Two days?”