That got Norton talking about his travels in Italy and Switzerland, the summer he’d spent in the south of France. Sam nodded along, finishing the first drink and starting work on the second, which disappeared far too quickly. He was starting to feel quite drunk.

‘One more?’ Norton asked, checking his watch. ‘I’ve got to find my way to the damn office, but that can wait until this afternoon. I’m told everyone lunches like the French, here.’

‘All right,’ Sam said, accepting another cigarette. He was beginning to like Norton more. It was easy to let the chatter wash over him.

‘Must say, I’m glad I bumped into you,’ Norton said, when the third glasses were empty. ‘This has done me the world of good. I was feeling wretched in that café. But you can give me the lay of the land here, can’t you? Be my Dante through the inferno?’

‘Sure,’ Sam said, feeling a warm glow of booze and superiority. ‘There’s a little bar where ex-pats meet, I can take you there.’

‘You’re a pal.’ Norton pushed back his chair and fished the wallet from his jacket. ‘Must use the gents. Here, pay the waiter if he comes by.’ He handed over the fifty dirhams. ‘Shouldn’t be a problem this time, eh?’

Sam held the note in front of him as Norton hurried off towards the lavatories. The man was crazy, he had to be. There was nothing to stop Sam from pocketing the money and walking nonchalantly out of the door, never to be seen again. That much money would buy him another two weeks. His hand twitched towards his shirt pocket. If he was careful …

His hand fell back to the table. Norton might be an idiot, but he was a generous idiot. And Tangier was a small place. He sighed, and called the waiter over.

Have a Heart

Take a jigger of gin and a pony each of Swedish Punsch, fresh lime juice and imported grenadine. Shake the ingredients together in a well-iced glass, before straining. A drink of sharpness and spice.

Ifrahim used to have a phrase, for whenever I was cowardly or hesitant about something. ‘Ale,’ he would say – for he knew I preferred to be called that, rather than Alejandra – ‘Ale, hacer de tripas corazón.’

Ale, make a heart out of your guts.