I smiled. ‘I could do with a month in Devon. There’s probably some snow about this time of year.’

‘I don’t like snow.’

I stopped myself from saying that I wasn’t offering her any. ‘The first snowdrops will be coming up, and then the crocuses and daffodils. And the birds will start singing. You ought to hear our English birdsong.’

She opened her eyes and twisted her head to look at me. ‘You sound quite poetic.’

‘I’m a country boy at heart. You know, I haven’t heard a bird sing all the time I’ve been here. Hell, even in London the birds sing.’

‘It must be nice,’ she said softly, and closed her eyes again.

The telephone jangled a foot from my head, startling me so that my fingers dug into Leotta’s flank. ‘Ouch!’

‘Sorry.’ I picked up the telephone and found I was listening to Negrini. ‘Bill, I have Jill Salton on another line. She’s been phoning around trying to get you – your hotel, the Salton Estates office and now here. I said I’d have you paged. Do you want to talk to her?’

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Put her on.’

Leotta was kneeling up, fastening her bikini strap. Jill said, ‘Bill?’

‘Speaking.’

‘I didn’t have a chance to talk to you this morning.’ I could sense a wry smile as she spoke. ‘I had to reserve all my attention for Superintendent Hanna.’

‘I’m sorry if you found it tough.’

‘It was hard to take,’ she said sombrely. Her voice brightened. ‘But I’d like to see you. Could you come to El Cerco this evening? Wait a moment before you answer,’ she went on quickly. ‘I’d like you to bring Miss Tomsson with you, if she’ll come.’

I glanced at Leotta. ‘What do you want to do, scratch her eyes out?’

Jill said, ‘I loved David, you know that, Bill. But more than that, I respected him and I respected his judgement. If he saw something in her, I’d like to find out what it was for myself.’

‘Wait a moment.’ I put my hand over the mouthpiece. Leotta was doing things to her hair. ‘Jill Salton wants me to go out to El Cerco. She’s invited you too.’

‘Why?’

I shrugged. ‘To chop your head off, to choke you with cream, to measure the one-time opposition. How the hell would I know? I’m no connoisseur of the female mind.’

Leotta was very still, then she nodded her head gravely. ‘Very well.’

I uncovered the mouthpiece. ‘Okay, Jill. But not tonight. My doctor wouldn’t approve.’

‘Doctor? What’s wrong, Bill?’

‘I ran into a slight riot last night.’

‘But you seemed all right this morning.’

‘Pills and willpower,’ I said. ‘But they didn’t last. I am really bushed, Jill, but I’ll be all right tomorrow.’