I tried to control my fingers. Slowly, I pressed the button through, letting the material of my blouse spread apart. Then the next fastening. The chill air made the skin on my chest prickle. ‘More like it,’ he said. I stood with it open. ‘Not bad. Like I said, magazines.’ I stood there, ashamed. ‘Keep going.’

There was a crash from out in the shop and I could hear Toby saying, ‘Told you not to do that.’ The officer looked at his mate and jerked his head. They went out to investigate, and as soon as their backs were turned I rushed over to the rear door. It was locked, with no key in sight. I ran to the desk to look for it. I hunted through, shoving aside a toothbrush in a smeared mug, a box of tooth powder, envelopes full of negatives and a magnifying glass, but found no key. The panic was rising as I tried to think where this man might keep it – somewhere close in case he needed to leave quickly, just as I did. I dashed back to the door and felt along the top of the frame. It was there, cold in my hand, and I shoved it into the lock. The hinges were thankfully well-oiled and I slipped out, closing the door and locking it from the outside. I threw the key aside and hurried away, holding my blouse closed.

34

The house was quiet when I got home. Without taking off my heavy coat, I entered the parlour and was taken aback to see a woman a few years older than me sitting serenely in one of the pair of Queen Anne chairs that Nick had picked up somewhere. She was dressed in black with a pill-box hat that had a veil hanging across her forehead. But the veil didn’t – couldn’t – disguise the fact that she had a very pretty face. It was round, the type you saw in eighteenth-century paintings of nymphs and satyrs, expertly powdered. Beside her, Nick was in the other chair, his legs crossed. They were both silent, as if they had been waiting for me.

‘Darling, this is Bella Singent,’ said Nick.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I said. ‘I didn’t expect you until seven.’ In fact, it had entirely slipped my mind that people were coming to dinner. Bella smiled sweetly and rose. She had long dark hair that shone in the sunlight. ‘I’m so pleased to meet you.’ I had been somewhat on edge about meeting these old friends of Nick and Lorelei. Bella and Lorelei had trained as actresses together decades earlier; but Bella had soon married someone steadfast and comfortably off and never set foot on a stage again.

‘And you too,’ she said, kissing my cheeks.

Nick went to the drinks cabinet. ‘Would you like something?’ he asked. I noticed that there were three glasses on the side table with a little white wine in each.