‘The direct line between the White House in Washington and the Kremlin in Moscow. Better to talk than to fight. Less likelihood of mistakes with nervous fingers hovering over respective nuclear buttons.’

‘So you think Valance will call you?’

‘No. Not really. But it gives him the option to negotiate if he wants to.’

So I sent him just a picture of his house without any caption attached.

Then I filled the Skoda’s tank with fuel before setting off south towards home.

Chico was snoozing as I joined the M1 south of Wetherby.

Something that Anton Valance had said was niggling somewhere in the deep recesses of my brain. And it wasn’t the only thing I’d heard that had rung some alarm bells. I tried going over in my head again all that had been said but it wouldn’t come. I’d have to listen again to the recording later, when I didn’t have a curly-haired sleeping beauty sitting next to me.

However, his slumbers were disturbed anyway going past Leeds, as my phone rang.

‘Hello,’ I said, answering it on the Skoda’s hands-free system.

‘Sid, I’ve made a decision. Provided my father doesn’t die before then, I’m coming home on Friday, with Sassy, so she can go to Annabel’s party on Saturday afternoon. I don’t know whether we will stay on after, that’s up to you.’

I rather thought it was up to her, but I didn’t say so.

‘Darling,’ I said instead, ‘I have Chico in the car with me and you’re on speaker.’

‘Oh.’ She paused. ‘Hello, Chico.’

‘Hello, gorgeous,’ he replied. ‘How you doin’?’

‘Not great at the moment,’ she replied curtly. ‘My father’s not well. In fact, he’s dying.’

‘Yeah. Sid told me. What a bugger. Sorry.’

‘Shall I call you later?’ I said.

‘Yes, do that. Oh, but one other thing, my phone’s been telling me that someone else has been using my personal ID. It happened once last week and it did it again today.’

‘That was only me. I was looking for the Skoda keys.’

‘They’re in my dressing-table drawer.’

‘Yes, I know, I used your NeverLoseIt tag to find them. That’s why I had to use your ID. I didn’t want to bother you.’

‘But it did bother me.’

‘I’m sorry. But if it happens again, don’t worry, it’ll only be me.’

‘Why will it happen again? You’re not trying to spy on me, are you?’

I forced a laugh. ‘No, of course not, my love. If I need to do it again, I’ll call you first. How’s that?’

She didn’t seem much placated, and I wasn’t really sure why I hadn’t told her the whole truth, except that I was afraid she would be cross I had used something of hers for my investigating.