“Really? I was meeting her in the café." I glanced around at it, perched by the parking lot. It looked pretty empty. In fact, the whole place was deserted, apart from a man walking a black Labrador in the distance and a couple sitting on the rocks. Everyone was at the regatta.

He shrugged. “She said she had to head off back to the studio. An emergency."

I whipped out my phone. Sure enough, another message.

“Sorry sorry sorry!! Change of plan - there's someone I have to see, I'm on a story.

Will ring I promise!

HUGE apologies NEVER be a journalist xx”

I nodded. Pocketed my phone. Gazed at him a long moment.

"How come you met up with Shona?"

"You mentioned you knew her, so I popped in to see her."

"What about?"

"I wanted to ask her if she'd do a piece about the beach clear-ups. Yet another plastic-and-pollution story, obviously, but more positive this time. About what people can do, even when they're on holiday. How they can help. A rallying cry, if you like."

"Right. Why didn't you mention it?"

"What, that I was seeing her?" He laughed. “Didn't know I had to!"

"Well, you made the connection through me. Might have been polite."

He considered this. "Yes, you're right, I'm sorry. I should have done. I just didn't think."

"Or think to say, the other night, that you'd been to see her?"

"I only saw her yesterday. But yes, you're right, I should have texted you or something." He put his hands together Japanese-style and executed a formal little bow. “Mea culpa." Then he dropped his hands. Shrugged. "On the other hand, she could have mentioned it to you."

“She did, just now, in town."

"Right. Well, yes, I'm sorry I didn't clear it first and of course I'd have told you about it afterwards. I was coming to find you in town, actually, to tell you all about it. It went really well."

"You did a piece to camera?"

"Yes." He scratched his head sheepishly. "Which is far more nerve-wracking than you'd think. Went OK, though, I think. Hopefully we'll get more support, maybe even local government funds if we can get them involved. It's just constant bombardment that's needed. Every radio station, too. I'm trying Radio Cornwall tomorrow and Radio Devon on Wednesday. Plus all the papers."

"Right." I felt a bit foolish suddenly. Ted and Shona were busy people. Professional people. They fired off emails all day long. Shona once told me she got four hundred a day.

I nodded. "Well, I'm sure Shona will give you as much coverage as she can. She's pretty ecological herself."

"I know, veered off her Geography degree to do Environmental Science, we talked about that." He glanced at his watch. "I must get on, but d'you want a quick coffee?" He inclined his head to the café. "Less of a scrum here than round the coast."