“What the hell’s going on?” Moira demanded, pulling the door open and staring belligerently at me. It should have been a moment of triumph for me, to come face to face with my quarry like this, but any satisfaction was destroyed by the irritation in her voice. “Are you deaf or what? She told you, I’m too tired to talk to anybody.”

“I’m sorry it’s a bad time, but I need to talk to you,” I apologized. “It’s taken me a long time to find you, and it’s important for you that you listen to what I have to say.” I tried a conciliatory smile which produced a scowl from Maggie, standing like a bulldog in front of Moira.

Moira sighed and pulled her white bathrobe more tightly round her. “You’re damn right, it’s a bad time. I suppose you’d better come in. Let me tell you, sister, this better not be bad news.”

I waited for Maggie to move reluctantly away from the door before I entered the tiny dressing room. There were two small Formica-topped tables in front of mirrors, a corner sink unit, three chairs and several hooks on the wall. Moira sat down in one chair facing a mirror and carried on removing her make-up. Maggie leaned against the wall, arms folded.

I pulled a chair over beside Moira and sat down. “I don’t think it’s bad news, but that’s for you to decide. My name’s Kate

“So what’s your interest in me?” she challenged.

“Jett asked me to find you,” I told her, watching for her reaction. The hand with the make-up removal pad shook and she quickly lowered it to the table.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said in a low voice.

“He wants to work with you again. He bitterly regrets what happened all those years ago,” I tried. My instincts told me that with Maggie in the room, I should steer well clear of the emotional arguments.

Moira shrugged. “I haven’t a clue what you’re on about.”

“I think you should go now,” Maggie piped up.

I ignored her. “Look, Moira, Jett is desperate to reach you. He says his work has gone down the tube since the two of you stopped writing songs together. As a fan, I have to agree with him. And I bet you do too. He just wants to meet you, to talk about the possibilities of making music together again. That’s all. No strings.”

Moira laughed, a harsh bark. “Oh yeah? And what’s Kevin going to say about that? If you’ve been looking for me, you know what my life’s been like the last few years. I’d be too much of a skeleton in the cupboard for Mr. Clean. Never mind what Jett will think.”