He deposited the empty can in the rubbish bin as he passed, and then sat down at the table, laying the magazine open in front of him. The headline intrigued him. Surely this homely looking woman, with not a trace of makeup on her face, wasn’t the one being described as a “too good boss”? Dammit, if she was, she was a far cry from any of the high-powered businesswomen that he had ever come across. He knew for a fact that Jackie would never set foot in her workplace with features that looked as if they had been scrubbed clean with a pumice stone. What the hell did she do to be described as a “too good boss”? He leaned forward on the table and began to read the article.

Twelve years ago, Katie Trenchard (42) had everything set out for what she thought would be a peaceful and comfortable life. She and her husband Patrick (45) lived in a handsome detached house in the village of Cloveden, five miles from Plymouth, where Patrick worked as a lecturer in marine biology at the university. There were shops, cinemas, and theatres within easy reach, they entertained on a regular basis, and they were able to make use of the many facilities that the university had to offer. And then, in one crazy month, they made a decision that would change their lives forever. They sold their beloved house, said goodbye to their friends, and moved to Fort William in the northwest of Scotland where they ploughed every last penny into the purchase of Seascape, a small prawn-processing factory.

“It was Patrick’s fault,” says Katie, narrowing her strikingly blue eyes. “It had always been his lifetime ambition to run a business of his own. He had carried out a number of small research projects for Seascape and heard through the grapevine that it was for sale. He knew that it was an opportunity he couldn’t let slip.”

Dan raised his eyebrows. Bloody fools, he thought to himself. What a madcap thing to do.