‘What happened to you?’ she asked.

‘I was in a fight,’ he said.

‘You shouldn’t get into fights. It’s not a good idea.’

‘It’s what I do.’

‘What does that mean?’ She tilted her head, curious.

‘I’m a boxer.’

‘Get out of here!’ Her smile widened.

‘It’s true.’

‘Did you have a fight tonight?’

‘I did. What’s your name?’

‘It’s . . .’

Claire. She’s going to say Claire, and then I’ll know I’m lying spark-out on the canvas and I’m dreaming this . . .

‘Suki Vance,’ she said.

‘You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago.’

‘Do I?’ Suki looked at him curiously. ‘What’s her name?’

‘Claire. Claire Milo.’

Suki stared at him.

‘I lost her years ago, back in England. We were engaged.’

Now Suki was eyeing him with suspicion. ‘Your name’s not Cleaver, is it?’

Josh stiffened in surprise. ‘What the . . . no, it’s not. How do you know that name?’

Suki was backing away from him. ‘Nah, forget I said anything. It’s been nice meeting you, but I have to get on.’

‘I’m Josh Flynn,’ said Josh, holding out a hand, willing her not to go. He was watching her face with acute curiosity.

Suki eyed his hand for a moment. It was big and scarred, the knuckles scraped. Then she shook it. ‘Hello, Mr Flynn,’ she said, and hurried away.

As soon as she could get free, Suki went up to Claire’s office.

‘Claire? Claire!’ she called, rushing in. ‘Mom’ was beyond her, for the moment. It was all too new, too strange.

‘Hey, where’s the fire?’ Claire laughed, looking up from what she was writing.

Suki threw herself into a chair and stared at her mother. ‘There’s a man down in the bar says he knew you years ago.’

‘Right. Who is he then, this mystery man?’ Claire was still jotting things down, barely paying attention.

‘His name’s Josh Flynn. And he’s a boxer. He says you were engaged.’

Claire dropped the pen. She looked at Suki and all the colour left her face, just drained out of her, leaving her deathly white. She started to shake.

‘Jesus! You all right?’ Suki hurried around the desk and clutched at Claire anxiously. The physical contact felt strange – but also kind of nice. ‘Do you know him then? Is it true?’

Claire shrugged Suki off and stood up, her knees trembling. ‘Show me,’ she said.

‘There. There he is, with the Constantinou brothers. You see?’

Claire came down the stairs after Suki and stopped dead. The noise of the club in full flow was cut off from her all of a sudden. Time stood still as her eyes found him. It was Josh. Older, yes. But the same. Her Josh. She put a hand to her mouth in shock. Suddenly there were tears pouring down her face.