“Who?” asked the playwright, looking round anxiously.

“That fucking gardener.”

“And he is actually a little like you,” said Manie in wonder.

“Could you excuse me a moment?” asked Jack.

“Are you off again?”

“I am.”

He went to the public phone in the village, taking with him the correct change. When the girl answered he whispered in a strong Northern accent: “There’s ah bomb in the theatre.”

“What!” screamed the girl.

“A’m telling you nagh, and awl tell yee na more, there’s a bomb set ta go off in five minutes.”

“You must be joking.”

“Fuck, lady, you’ll fucking find out whether I’m joking or not,” he said savagely. “Just say Shamey Coyle rang, OK?”

He replaced the phone. Then he returned and took his place beside the playwright and his wife in the restaurant. There was hilarity in the confidences exchanged. The night ended in confusion.

They drove him home. He found himself lying alone in bed and he thought of her and cursed her: May she not have the memory of the good times.

Jack answered a timid knock at the door of his cottage in his trousers. Daisy was leaping madly on the white road and barking.

“Hello, Jack,” said Bernie Burke. He was pale and blue-lipped.

“You got back,” said Jack.

“I did. Joe Love must have dropped these off for you while I was away,” and he handed Jack a bunch of letters bound by an elastic band. The top one, he saw, was addressed to him in Catherine’s handwriting.

“Someone is thinking of you,” Bernie said.

“And how are you now, Bernie?”

“I’m not well, thank you. I lost a lung.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“This is it,” said Bernie. “You’re doing a good job on the place. I came up a couple of times but you weren’t about.”

“I’m sorry. I was away.”

“Well, you have them now. I hope they bring you luck.”

“I’m sure they will.”

“I’ll go now, thank you.”

“Good luck, Bernie.”

The old fisherman steered his way up the path through the blinding wind. Stood a moment to look at the sea then turned into the valley towards his own house. Jack opened the first envelope and found a card inside. He put the card on the kitchen table. Then he opened the others. Each contained a letter and he laid them out one on top of the other.