‘No. I would have opposed it whoever was behind it. In a way it makes it more awkward because it’s Peter and Stacey. What about you?’

‘Deeply personal.’

‘I thought it might be.’ Maddy opened the door and stepped out. ‘Come on, then.’

‘What?’ Drew ducked his head down to look at her.

‘I’m inviting you in for coffee. That’s the way it goes, isn’t it?’

‘God knows.’ He shut the door. ‘I’m as rusty on these things as you are. In my youth, being asked in for coffee was a gold star invitation, as I recall.’

‘Well, this isn’t your youth – or mine – and we’re not in the carnal wilds of Jersey. Anyway, you’ve been in for coffee before. And I’ll scream for the neighbours if you step out of line.’

‘I am the neighbours.’

Maddy unlocked the front door with a grin. ‘So you are. I won’t have to scream very loud then, will I? Go through to the sitting room. I won’t be a tick.’

When she carried the mugs through, Drew was lounging on the sofa between two piles of washing.

‘God! Sorry!’ She put the mugs on the floor and scrabbled the clothes into a bundle. ‘I’ll just get rid of these.’

She curled beside Drew on the sofa. It was very intimate with the soft glow of the standard lamp. As usual, this intimacy lasted less than a millisecond. The door crashed open and Suzy, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with ‘Luke Delaney Rides Winners – I’m A Winner’, stood in the doorway.

‘I thought I heard you. Hello, Drew. Am I interrupting anything?’

‘Just coffee, unfortunately. I like your hair.’

‘Ta. I had it done in Newmarket. Out of my winnings. What do you reckon, Mad?’

Maddy surveyed the white-blonde crop, brushed smoothly around Suzy’s elfin face.

‘It looks lovely – better than the spikes – and I like the colour. How many bottles of bleach did it take?’

‘Oh, masses. Luke thinks it makes me look sexy.’

‘Luke would think anything made you look sexy. Where is he, anyway? He’s not, um, in the bedroom?’

‘Nah, unfortunately. Still in Newmarket. I got back about an hour ago.’

‘And you’ve been on the phone for an hour?’

‘How did you guess? Actually, I didn’t come charging in here to louse up your love life. I came to give you this. It was on the mat when I got in. I thought it might be important.’

Maddy took the envelope with a sinking heart. It just said ‘Maddy – Urgent’ on the front in a bold black scrawl. She looked at Drew.

‘It’s from Peter.’

Chapter Ten

‘Holy hell, Mad.’ Suzy pulled a face. ‘I didn’t know it was from Pete the Perv else I wouldn’t’ve given it to you – not while Drew was here.’

‘It’s OK.’ Maddy tore open the expensive envelope. ‘Drew and I don’t have any secrets. Much.’ She skimmed through the single sheet of paper and handed it to Drew.