“They also serve who only sit and wait,” Wildsmith said. “I’m no tactician, but you don’t need to spend long at war to grasp the importance of supply lines. Talking of which, thanks, Aggie.”

That was to the waitress, as she brought their food and two mugs of tea. The steak pie was surprisingly good. Wildsmith made rapid inroads into his macaroni cheese, which Aaron had always considered nursery food. That impression wasn’t changed by seeing a grown man eat it with a spoon.

“Can you not use your device?” he asked. “To hold a knife, I mean?”

“I can, but I’ve been using it all day and I’m tired. Sometimes macaroni cheese is just easier.”

“There’s a good Italian place in Lisson Grove,” Aaron found himself saying. “They do a dish called ravioli, if you know it? Little parcels with meat inside. You could eat that with only a fork.”

“I’ll have to win this bet then.” Wildsmith glanced up as he said it, his pale brown eyes catching the light. They were still unsettling even with more acquaintance. You expected a man of his colouring to have green eyes, or blue, or dark brown; Wildsmith’s were too light and too dark at once.

“I dare say I could spring for somewhere a little fancier, if you win,” Aaron returned, because the thought of taking Joel Wildsmith to his little local place, just round the corner from his flat—

He needed to stop. “You said you had other questions,” he remarked, and shoved a forkful of steak and pastry in his mouth as a means to stop himself talking further.

“Did I? Probably. Can’t remember what they were. Oh, yes I can: why?”

Aaron still had a mouthful. “?”

“Why are you doing this? It can’t just be curiosity, unless you’re the most curious man alive. Are you trying to nail me for a fraud and hoping I’ll betray myself? Testing whether I believe my own publicity? Trialling me as that graphological consultant you mentioned?”

“Not that last. I really do want to know the truth,” Aaron said. “I found your results extremely impressive, and I want to know if you fooled me, I fooled myself, or you’re remarkably gifted. It must be one of those, and I’ve been driving myself mad trying to work out which.”

“Sorry to be occupying your thoughts,” Wildsmith flipped back. “You should charge me rent.”

Aaron had an urge to tell him You’re welcome, any time, or some such damn fool thing. He forked up a bit of beef instead and chewed carefully.

“I suppose it’s a policeman thing,” Wildsmith added thoughtfully after a moment. “Wanting answers. Detective and all that.”

“Mph. We don’t usually get a mystery to solve, in the sense of some tidy arrangement with a limited set of suspects.”