‘So is Annie with you now, then?’

‘No. She’s taking her usual two hours to get ready.’

Too easy!

‘So when Annie told Jenny she was on her way to Temple Bar with Claire and a lovely friend of her dad’s called Harry, she was lying then, was she?’

He sat up in his seat. Getting difficult!

‘No … she’s not … lying as such … what’s happened there is she’s forgotten … she’s just forgotten … to mention I went out … I couldn’t sleep you see, so I went out early … to you know, take in the sights of Dublin. I’m sitting here waiting for them, actually.’

Long pause. Maybe, just got away with it?

‘Cormac?’

‘Yes, prime minister?’

‘What was my job?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘What was my job, indeed, our job, before we got into this godforsaken business?’

Definitely, absolutely, categorically, blown it!

‘You were the most eminent criminal Queens Counsel of your generation, prime minister!’

Oh, fuck! Could you possibly be any more stupid?

‘So you’re off on a date with a mysterious woman from your past. You no longer wish to come back to England to fly with the official party on Friday. You’ve palmed your lovely daughter off on two relative strangers. And you are now lying to me, one of your oldest friends, and more importantly, may I add, the bloody prime minister! Have I just about covered it?’

No, you definitely could not have been more stupid!’

Harry’s coat was suffocating Cormac. He removed it as best he could whilst remaining on the line. The back of his wet shirt was now uncomfortably cold against his seat. He leaned forward on the table to let the sun do its work.

‘I am so sorr…’

‘Cormac! Just shut up a moment. I have a meeting scheduled in two minutes. I only phoned because Jenny said you had a date and I was surprised and delighted for you. To tell you the truth, I was wondering if you wanted to bring her on Friday night. I know it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s enough novelty value to keep her entertained. Besides, I’m sick of losing my wife to you all night and having to listen to her tell me how much she wishes I was more like lovely Cormac O’Reilly. Lovely smile, lovely manners, and oh, that accent! That lovely accent! So what do you say? Do I get to meet the unlucky girl?’

He felt his stomach turn over. The thought he could actually bring her there overwhelmed him. To have her walk into that room, on his arm, as his partner, was more than he could ever hope for and more than he deserved. That was even if she wasn’t already married and if she actually liked him! He thought it best not to lie again to the seasoned cross-examiner on the other end of the line.

‘Thank you for the kind thoughts, prime minister. But I have two small problems there: she’s married and she doesn’t like me very much, I’m afraid.’