A large man was sorting through an open bag. He looked up and said, ‘Good evening,’ and returned to his task.

Then a flurry of movement and a woman hurried across the floor to meet them, a huge smile on her face, her arms outstretched. ‘Aaron! Oh, wow, it’s so good to see you again! We must have a complete catch-up!’

Though Clancy’s description of Alice ought to have prepared him, he was stunned not only by the surprising warmth of this greeting, but the change in her as well. There seemed a lot of Alice’s flesh on show, her plaits swinging around her. And the tattoos … Clancy hadn’t exaggerated the extent of them.

He had an instant to be glad she looked less like Clancy than of yore and then she was trying to envelop him in a hug. The hands he placed on her shoulders served to ensure she didn’t get too close. She whirled away, addressing the man searching through the baggage.

‘Hugo, come and meet my business partner, Aaron,’ she called brightly. ‘He owns Roundhouse Row with me. Aaron, this is my husband, Hugo.’

Hugo, smoothing his beard, stepped forward to shake Aaron’s hand. ‘All right, mate?’ he said carelessly. The phrase didn’t work with his well-spoken accent and Aaron had a strong impression that he was using language he thought Aaron would understand.

Taking an instant dislike to him, Aaron replied, ‘How do you do?’ and turned immediately to Alice. ‘We need to talk.’

‘Sure. Later this week,’ she suggested, abandoning him in the middle of the floor and turning to pick up the saxophone from the floor. After licking her lips, she began to play. There was a bit of elephant-blowing-its-nose noise, but she did create a tune.

Conscious of a rising fury at her blatant attempt to dismiss him, Aaron strode over and raised his voice over the racket. ‘Now, please,’ he said.

The saxophone gave a squawk and a squeak as Alice tried to blow harder. Even Hugo had stopped ferreting in his baggage to watch the scene unfold.

Then suddenly Clancy was there too, laying her hand on Alice’s arm. ‘Might as well get it over with.’

Alice cut baleful eyes Aaron’s way for a moment, then she let her bottom lip uncurl from beneath the saxophone reed and stooped to lay it once again on the floor. ‘I’m quite tired,’ she pointed out, ‘but if you’re quite sure it has to be now—’ she widened her eyes in elaborate exasperation ‘—then by all means.’ She strode to the lounge area, parked her backside on the sofa and folded her arms.

Clancy suggested tentatively. ‘I can go upstairs—’

‘No, stay,’ declared Alice. ‘Make us coffee, lovely Clancy.’

‘Make it yourself, lovely Alice,’ Clancy replied affably, taking an armchair.

Alice looked at her and giggled.

Taking from this that the best way to deal with Alice was simply to be direct when necessary, Aaron took a deep breath. ‘I’m keen to avoid as much awkwardness as possible. Lee’s living locally right now with my parents and my great-aunt. You introduced me as your business partner earlier, which is true as far as it goes—’