I held them both until he fought away from me, telling me he did need to breathe every once in a while. ‘Let’s go to that café in Victoria Park,’ he said. ‘I have a craving for ice cream.’

I just burst into laughter and drew them both to me again. Hazel kissed my cheek.

‘What was it like in there?’ Hazel asked with an untouched dish of ice cream melting in front of her. She had been too excited to eat it.

‘Oh, it was all right, really. Just boring. I spent most of my time thinking what I would buy you for your birthday,’ he replied with a wink. At home I had helped him to splint and bind the wrist Grest said had been broken by one of the guards. Nick told us it was just a sprain.

‘They didn’t hurt you?’

‘No. I think they knew they had made a mistake as soon as I got through the door; they were too embarrassed to admit it, though, so they kept me there for a while.’ He kissed her forehead and she pushed him away. ‘I won’t be taking you there on holiday but it wasn’t too bad. Now, do you want that ice cream or am I having it?’

‘I’ll have it, please. But I’m just going to the –’

‘It’s over there,’ he said, pointing. I watched her go through the shabby door to the toilets. ‘Has there been any more news about Lorelei? Anything from the police?’ he asked me.

‘No, I don’t think so.’

‘Hmm, well, I expect we’ll find out eventually.’

I hoped so. ‘What was it really like?’ I asked.

‘Not an unmitigated delight. Worse than I told her, but they didn’t get the thumbscrews out. They threw a punch or two, but I’ll live. Bread and cold clear soup three times a day – that was probably the worst of it. Really, I was telling the truth when I said I think they realized their mistake pretty early on, but they’re NatSec, aren’t they? So they can’t admit to getting things wrong, or we little people will start to get ideas about them.’ He ate a small slice of cake that the waitress brought him. We waited until she was gone before speaking again in lower tones.

‘Was there questioning?’