Gary could not quite understand. ‘So if you can’t fly, what will you do instead?’

‘Well, there’s a lot to be said for running a bookshop.’

At that moment Erica walked into the room with two mugs of tea. Tiger turned to acknowledge her, then looked back at Gary. ‘Especially if you’re in love with the owner,’ he said.

‘Soft bugger,’ said Gary.

‘Yeah. Suppose I am really.’

‘It won’t last, you know.’

‘I wouldn’t bet on it,’ said Tiger. ‘No more than I’d bet on you and Sarah not lasting. But time will tell. It’s learning to be content with what you’ve got really, rather than chasing dreams. That’s the trouble with dreams. When you’re living them they feel like reality. And everyone underrates reality.’

‘Sometimes,’ said Gary, ‘I haven’t a bloody clue what you’re talking about.’

The surgery was as busy as ever. Christopher managed to find a parking space round the back and walked in the side door, hoping to have a word with Stella Walters about Randall Cummings. He did not manage it. Instead Stella’s office was occupied by the Chief Inspector that he had visited that morning with Monty Loveday.

‘Hello Dr Devon. Have you got a minute?

The tea had sugar in it, but Christopher still couldn’t taste it. ‘Monty Loveday?’

‘I’m afraid so,’ confirmed the Chief Inspector. ‘It was as big a shock to me as it is to you. We built cars together. Or took them apart…’

‘But we were with him only this morning.’

‘After which he shot off to London to meet Cummings.’

‘So they were in it together?’

‘Apparently so. As a coroner I suppose Monty was a handy accomplice.’

‘But why? I thought he couldn’t stand Randall Cummings.’

‘It was all a front, clearly.’

Christopher was finding it difficult to take in. ‘But why did he come with me to see you?’

‘Because he thought that if he didn’t you’d become suspicious.’

‘Risky though?’

‘A calculated risk. He’d know that the evidence you had was circumstantial, nothing more. He’d know that we wouldn’t have enough to go on.’

‘And then he went off to London. To meet Cummings.’

‘Another risk. But the meeting must already have been planned by then, and they wouldn’t want to risk losing their money.’

‘All for the money…’

‘No other reason. They’ve admitted it now. They’ll both be convicted.’

‘My God!’ said Christopher. ‘And to think I worked with him all those years.’

‘Yes, sir. We never really know people as well as we think we do, do we? The ones that are close to us.’

‘Apparently not.’