‘You’re not –’ I stared at her, ‘you’re not thinking of buying it, are you? Not seriously?’

Stefano Costana looked a little uncomfortable. ‘Sorry – do you two know each other?’

‘Oh yes, we’re old friends, aren’t we, Maggie?’ said Fay, at exactly the same moment as I replied, ‘No, not really.’

She gazed up at me. ‘Do you like my hair, Maggie? I really hope so. I’ve brought you the rest of my curls.’ She tried to hand me an envelope. ‘I posted some the other night when I called round, but now I think it’s best if you have them all.’

‘Why would I want them?’ I refused to take the package.

‘It’s like a kind of bond. You know, like blood sisters at school. I think the Red Indians used to do it as a sign of friendship.’

‘Well, the Red Indians can have them then.’

‘It is a bit chilly, though, I must say, round the old ears.’ To my huge relief, she pulled her hood back up.

‘Aren’t you going to introduce me to your twin?’ Alex muttered, thrusting his hands deep in his pockets. I felt like someone was kneeling on my chest.

‘I don’t think we’ve met. Fay Carter. Maggie is my saviour.’ Fay offered her hand to Alex now. She didn’t quite flutter her eyelashes, but … He was so tall and she was so tiny, so doll-like, they looked incongruous next to one another. I had a sudden vision of Alex scooping her up and sticking her in his pocket.

‘Did you know about this?’ I muttered, stupefied.

‘What, about freako here? Stefano told me he had someone seriously interested in the flat, that’s all.’

‘It’s such a fabulous area, isn’t it? Borough Market. Ever since Maggie told me all about it, I’ve wanted to explore,’ Fay breezed.

All about it? I felt my brow knit anxiously. I hardly remembered mentioning the flat to her. I gazed at Fay. Droplets of fog lingered pearly on her fur-hood, her eyes so enormous with innocent enthusiasm that I could practically see the male hearts around me melting.

‘Stefano says it’s very up-and-coming. And when I heard it was your flat, Maggie, I was just so excited. It’s like it was meant to be.’

‘But how did you hear it was my flat?’ I shook my head slowly. ‘I don’t understand. How could you possibly know?’

‘Stefano must have told me, mustn’t he?’ Fay patted the estate agent’s portly arm with a dainty little hand. ‘After all, it’s not every day you get a famous TV producer’s flat to sell, is it, Stef?’

‘That’s right.’ He smiled fondly down at her, his goatee practically quivering with testosterone.