‘Sorry?’

‘My daughter Maria. She start on Monday.’

‘But Mrs Bassani, that really won’t be necessary. I’m working for the next few days, so I won’t be needing lunch and…’

‘You no want my daughter?’

‘Well, it’s not that I don’t want her…’

‘Good. That’s all sorted then. Maria start on Monday. She clean and wash and she make you lunch when you are in.’

‘Oh, but really, Mrs Bassani, I think just the cleaning…’ It was a last ditch attempt to salvage some kind of result. It failed.

‘No, no no! Her cooking is…how you say?…no great shakes…but she very willing and happy to learn.’

Christopher felt himself drowning in the futility of it all. He thought the mother’s cooking was bad enough, but if the daughter’s was worse…

Mrs Bassani was taking off her apron. If he ate slowly he would be able to leave most of the pasta. He made one more stab at discouragement but it was the briefest of all.

‘Mrs…’

‘Don’t worry about my wages. You just give to Maria. She use them for food. And as she not such good cook, she only charge five pound an hour instead of eight. OK?’

With a mouth full of pasta Christopher Devon could only nod and move his eyes in mute agreement.

‘Good. That sorted then. I have changed bedding and ironed shirts. Milk in fridge and food for weekend. I see you some time Doctor Devon. Be good!’

And with that she pulled on her thick black coat and walked out of the kitchen towards her car. As the little Fiat with the round lady at the helm pulled out of the drive, the good doctor put down the fork and spoon and got up from the table in search of the pork pie and the apple.

Chapter 4

For secrets are edged tools,

And must be kept from children and from fools.

Sir Martin Mar-all, John Dryden, 1631–1700

‘But I thought he wasn’t due back until next week?’

‘Unfortunately he doesn’t always tell us when he has a change of plan.’ Gary was looking out of the window and across the river.

His boss was sitting behind a large desk, his heavy head resting on his hands. ‘So what now?’

Gary turned round. ‘Steady nerves. I don’t want to rush it.’

‘But you’ll keep tabs?’

‘Oh, yes, but at a safe distance. We know from experience that he doesn’t rush things himself. He won’t be going back to China for at least a month if previous trips are anything to go by.’

‘Well, he doesn’t normally come back to the UK as quickly as this, so supposing he’s changed his system?’