‘No,’ Nicola said truthfully. ‘You’re not doing that. You’re talking about yourself which is the usual thing.’

‘My God!’ Andrew ejaculated. ‘How very chastening.’

‘This time it’s a bit different.’

‘Is it? How much?’

‘No,’ Nicola said. ‘Don’t let’s rush our fences. We only met yesterday morning. Everything’s being precipitated like one of those boring chemical experiments. Don’t let’s pay too much attention.’

‘Just as you like,’ he said huffily. ‘I was going to ask if you’d dine with me. Is that too precipitate?’

‘I expect it is, really, but I’d like to. Thank you, Andrew. I have a motive.’

‘And what the hell is that?’

‘I did mention it before. I’m going to visit Troy Alleyn this evening and I wondered if you’d come with me and show her a picture. Like I told you, the Cid says she’d be delighted.’

Andrew was silent for a moment and then burst out laughing. ‘Well, I must say!’ he ejaculated. ‘As one of the suspects in a murder charge – yes, I am, Nicola. You can’t escape it – I’m being invited to pay a social call on the chief cop’s wife. How dotty can you get!’

‘Well, why not?’

‘Will he be there? No, I suppose not. He’ll be lying flat on his stomach in Green Lane looking for my boot-prints.’

‘So it’s a date?’

‘It’s a date.’

‘Then, shall we collect your pictures? I live quite close to the Alleyns. Could you make do with an omelet in my flat?’

‘Do you share it with two other nice girls?’

‘No.’

‘Then I’d love to.’

Nicola’s flat was a converted studio off the Brompton Road. It was large and airy and extremely uncluttered. The walls were white and the curtain and chairs yellow. A workmanlike desk stood against the north window and a pot of yellow tulips on the table. There was only one picture, hung above the fireplace. Andrew went straight to it.

‘Gosh!’ he said, ‘it’s a Troy. And it’s you.’

‘It was for my twenty-first birthday, last year. Wasn’t it wonderful of her?’

There was a long silence. ‘Wonderful,’ Andrew said. ‘Wonderful.’ And she left him to look at it while she rang Troy Alleyn and then set to work in her kitchen.

They had cold soup, an omelet, white wine, cheese and salad and their meal was extremely successful. They both behaved in an exemplary manner and if their inclination to depart from this standard crackled in the air all round them, they contrived to disregard it. They talked and talked and were happy.

‘It’s almost nine o’clock,’ Nicola said. ‘We mustn’t be too late at Troy’s. She’ll be delighted to see you, by the way.’

‘Will she?’

‘Why did you leave your pictures in the car?’

‘I don’t know. Well, yes, I do, but it doesn’t matter. Wouldn’t it be nice to stay here?’

‘Come on,’ Nicola said firmly.

When they had shut the door behind them, Andrew took her hands in his, thanked her for his entertainment and kissed her lightly on the cheek.