Walker believed in the iron fist in the iron glove, and had always been a very dangerous man. Certainly I couldn’t hope to intimidate him without my armour. But the day I couldn’t think rings round a soulless functionary like Walker, I’d retire from the field and raise bees. According to the media there’s a shortage these days. . . . I gave Walker my best cocky, crafty grin, the one that says, I know something you don’t know. . . .

“Haven’t seen you since that nasty business with the independent agent,” I said. “So, still keeping the lid on the Nightside, are you? Running back and forth trying to make all those gods and monsters play nicely together?” And then I stopped, and frowned, and looked closely at Walker. “Didn’t someone tell me . . . you’d been killed?”

Walker shrugged. “Comes to us all, in the end. No one gets out of life alive. All that matters here and now is that I serve new masters; and they want information from you. Past cases, victories old and new, everything there is to know about the notorious Drood family.”

“Yeah,” I said. “That’ll be the day. So, new lords and masters, is it? And who might they be, exactly?”

“You don’t need to know,” said Walker. “It doesn’t matter; we all have to serve someone, in the end. It’s all right for you to talk to me, Eddie. The secrets we hold in life aren’t important anymore, once we’re dead.”

I stared at him. “Someone really did kill you? I didn’t believe anyone could take down the legendary Walker.”

“I got old,” said Walker, “and perhaps a little careless with someone I trusted. Still, he’ll make a good replacement.”

“And . . . I’m dead?”

“Of course. Don’t you remember the disguised Immortal stabbing you? No? Well, I’m sure it’ll come back to you. You’re probably still in shock.”

“I am not dead! I’m breathing; I can feel my heart pounding. . . . I can’t be dead!”