The Darkest Heart by Dan Smith Page A

she wanted from me every time. ‘Here.’ I fished a key from my pocket and held it out to her. ‘If Juliana asks, tell her it’s only for a couple of days. I’ll be back soon and we’ll see what happens then.’
    Daniella looked at the key, not understanding.
    â€˜Take it,’ I urged her.
    â€˜A couple of days?’ She still didn’t take the key. ‘But we’re supposed to be going out tonight. The festa.’
    I sighed. ‘Shit. Look. I’m sorry. There’s a job. I can’t turn it down.’
    â€˜You forgot.’ She stepped back and put her hands on her waist, dropping one hip, her head tilting the opposite way. ‘I leave my home, my job, I tell my mother she can rot in hell and now you’re going to piss off and leave me on my own? Where are you going?’
    â€˜A long way.’ I glanced at the old man.
    â€˜Don’t look at him,’ she said. ‘Look at me and tell me why you forgot about me.’
    â€˜I didn’t forget about you ... Well, about the festa , yeah, but I need the money, Daniella. We need the money. It’s for us. So we can be together.’
    Daniella sighed and looked down. She was swallowing her temper, dousing the flames. She must have sensed that this time she might not get her way if she didn’t try a more sensitive route. ‘I don’t want to be on my own, Zico. What am I going to do on my own?’
    â€˜You’ll think of something. It’s not for long.’
    Her expression softened further and she reached out for me. ‘Stay here,’ she said, taking my hand but not the key. ‘With me. Forget about the money, we’ll have some fun.’ She ran her fingers along my forearm.
    â€˜I can’t just forget about it, it’s too much money.’
    â€˜How much?’
    â€˜And anyway, Raul needs me.’
    â€˜So do I.’ She stepped closer, looking up at me, one hand on my chest.
    â€˜Come on, Daniella, I have to go.’ I looked at my watch again. ‘I’ll be back in a few days, a week at the most.’ As soon as I said it, I knew I shouldn’t have.
    â€˜A week?’ I felt her hand tense on my chest.
    â€˜No. It won’t be that long. Shouldn’t be.’
    And then an idea came to her. I watched it light up her face, her eyes widening, a smile touching the corner of her mouth. ‘I’ll come with you,’ she said. ‘It’ll be—’
    â€˜No. You can’t come with us.’
    â€˜Why not? I’ve been out with you before. I can fish.’
    â€˜We’re not catching fish, Daniella, this is work.’
    â€˜That’s OK, I know what kind of work you and Raul do. I can keep quiet, you know that.’
    There was a fraction of a second when I imagined saying ‘yes’ to her. I could see us on the boat together and something about it felt good. To be with Daniella, on the river, away from Costa and his people, away from her mother and my need for money. A surge of emotion welled in me and I knew I loved her and wanted to be with her and would do anything to make that happen. That’s why I was doing this job for Costa – so that Daniella and I could be together. But that was also why she couldn’t come with us.
    Hiding the killing from the old man would be easy enough, but not from Daniella. She would be with me every moment, and she would see a side to me I didn’t want her to see.
    â€˜What about all your things?’ I said. ‘We’re going to be at least four or five days. You won’t have—’
    â€˜Everything I need is right here.’ She toed the bag by her feet.
    â€˜Daniella, it’s not safe.’ I lowered my voice. ‘You know the kind of stuff Raul carries. There are people up and down the river who might try to take it. And that man back there? He’s a killer.’
    Daniella turned around to see Leonardo sitting still in the