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‘Listen, you spineless creep, it’s my damn money and I’ll damn ithdrahen I like, or I’ll terminate the entire account fro minutes!’

I call Billie and tell her not to cooing to see her’

There is a shocked silence ‘Does Blake know?’

‘No, and I’ him Not yet, anyway This is between her andjust that’

‘Are you fking out of yourtothe kidnappers or so’

‘Maybe,’ I concede ‘But Victoria doesn’t need money from me to pay off the kidnappers She wants loat’

‘So let her have her satisfaction’

‘Don’t go, Lana You’ll only ue with you, Billie I need to see her face to face If she wants etting your son back by begging’

‘Give up, Billie I’s off

I put the phone down utterly steady in my resolve You see, I may be naïve, one can even call ive up loat? Let her gloat Whateverthat maybe, just maybe, I will find that chink in her arlean so, or his whereabouts

I don’t bother to hide or be sneaky with Brian I tell him my decision and ask him to take me to the bank to pick up the lance beforea half-hearted attee of character than I have given him credit for, and knows that it would be a pointless exercise

‘You’re playing right into her hands She’s going to use this money to pay the kidnappers off’

I notice that he came to the same conclusion as Billie Only he omitted the word probably I look him in the eyes ‘I know that, but do you really think she has no other , but it is abundantly clear that he does not agree with my decision

‘So she wants to savor the irony of it all, or even my fall Let her It seelare at him ‘If you tell Blake, consider this the last ti ofto me, but I don’t have a choice He doesn’t love my son I do With all my heart Yes, Brian is loyal, very loyal, but he doesn’t understand

He drives me to her in silence In the car Blake calls

‘Where are you?’ he asks

‘I’ue

Brian doesn’t bat an eyelid Just stares ahead and carries on driving

‘Are you sure you are all right?’ Blake insists

‘Yes Yes, I aht’

‘I love you, Lana’