There was already a good deal of ugly bruising on his torso as he dabbed patiently with a towel, though the mirror spoke to him more of stupidity than pain. Plunging his face into the ice-cold water once more, he felt his old self returning; he had always been a quick healer, but he could not leave his reputation so damaged for too long.
Dressed smartly, he covered his cuts with thin strips of medical tape, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses. That will do, he thought, not good but passable; enough to avoid attention. He was ready to approach the conversation and the chase. He flicked open his cell phone and pressed speed dial.
‘Mr Steele?’
‘You have news for me?’
‘Not that you want to hear, but I am dealing with it now.’
‘The boy, you spoke to him?’
‘He got away from me, but I’m sor
