He walked through to the kitchen and realized as he entered the room that he had hardly ever done so without being greeted by the appalling smell of one of Biggles’s misdeeds. He thought of the dogs, and then he thought of Josh, and then he thought of Patrick and Katie, and he yearned to be back with them all. He had only been away from them for a matter of hours, and already he missed the intuitive wisdom and boundless enthusiasm of Josh, the drive and the sense of humour and the fight in Patrick, and the quiet resilience and strength of character in Katie. And last night, on the train, as he tossed and turned on his narrow bunk, he missed having her body curled in next to his. He would never forget that night, as long as he lived, when he lay on top of her, absorbing her pain and sorrow into his very being.

He filled up the electric kettle and turned it on, and then saw the four piles of mail sitting on the shelf next to the telephone. He thumbed through the first one, sorting out the junk from the readable, and he was about to open a letter from Broughton’s, the company for which Nick Jessop worked, when he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Millie? Is that you?” It was Jackie’s voice.

“No, it’s me—Dan.”

He heard the footsteps stop, and then ascend the stairs at speed. He flicked his head back dismissively and continued with the opening of the letter. It was a brief five-liner.

Dear Dan,

I have been told by one of my colleagues, Nick Jessop, that you might be interested in seeking a job with Broughton’s. I am, of course, familiar with your past achievements in the City and therefore was hoping that we might meet for lunch in the near future. I know that you are in Scotland at present, but on your return, do please e-mail me at [email protected] to let me know if you want to take this further.

Yours sincerely

Good old Nick, he thought to himself. He doesn’t give up, does he? He fluttered the letter down onto the kitchen table and then heard the sound of Jackie’s footsteps coming down the stairs once more. She entered the kitchen and stood in the doorway, wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She made no move to come towards him to greet him.

“Hi,” he said, smiling at her. “This is a bit of a surprise. I didn’t expect to find you here.” He walked over to her and made to give her a kiss on the mouth, but she turned her face so that it landed on her cheek. He put his arms around her and gave her a hug. It was like holding a lump of wood.