He hurried through handover notes for Tina to cover his absence then grabbed a sandwich and ran downstairs to find Tina had arrived and was preparing to open up with her usual stolid good humour. ‘Thanks again,’ he called as he cut out through the back door. He kept trying Hayley as he drove to Flora’s house, munching the sandwich. Once there, he had to spend ten minutes with Jeremy and Jasmine because it would have taken a harder heart than his not to meet their screaming excitement at seeing him with anything but hugs, tossing them in the air and tickling them while they giggled with delight.

‘I wanna go in the loft with you!’ Jeremy declared, running to the bottom of the stairs in preparation.

‘An’ me!’ bellowed Jasmine, following her big brother.

‘Ask Mummy,’ said Isaac. ‘But I think she’ll say no.’

‘No!’ gasped Flora.

‘Aw, pleeeeeease,’ began the children, tears starting in their eyes.

A compromise was reached whereby Isaac, holding on firmly, took each of them to the top of the ladder to peep into the roof void, by the light of his torch, at boxes and cobwebs. Then he gave them back into Flora’s care while he searched out boots, base layers and padded trousers.

Flora’s voice floated up to him through the loft hatch. ‘Get the Christmas decorations down for me while you’re up there, please.’ So he located the tree and its boxes and lowered them down to Flora while Jeremy and Jasmine danced around excitedly. ‘Can we put the tree up now? Is Uncle Isaac going to help? Aw, pleeeeeease …’

After testing the Christmas lights and putting the tree on its stand he handed over to Flora, resisting all childish blandishments to stay longer. He tried Hayley again as he finally drove away but with no more success than before. It was looking increasingly likely that Doggo would have to come to Switzerland. It was a good job he had a valid pet passport.

He headed straight to Lily’s place. He received no reply when he knocked at the French doors that provided entrance to her apartment but she must have seen him arrive because his phone rang. ‘I’m in Carola’s part of the house. Can you come to her front door?’