Christopher shook his head. ‘I don’t want revenge, or retribution. I don’t even want the satisfaction of knowing that it didn’t work out for Kate after she had, as you so eloquently put it, “dumped me”. I just want to salvage something out of this mess. Something that will make it worth carrying on. Peace of mind is the nearest I can come to explaining what I want.’

‘With another woman?’ asked Gary, like a terrier with a bone.

Christopher looked reflective. Then said slowly, ‘Maybe. One day. I don’t really want to carry on living alone.’ Then he turned to Gary. ‘Do you?’

Gary shrugged. ‘Who knows.’

‘That’s not an answer.’ Now it was Christopher’s turn to pursue his quarry.

‘I’m not short of a woman, if that’s what you mean.’

‘Oh we know that. But so far you’ve not shown much in the way of loyalty, have you?’

‘That’s a bit unfair.’

‘You do seem to enjoy variety,’ offered Tiger.

‘Yes. Well, maybe I’ll change one day. Maybe I just haven’t found the right person yet.’

‘What about Sarah?’ asked Tiger.

Gary felt himself colouring up. He never remembered colouring up before.

‘Oh. I think we might have touched a nerve there,’ said Christopher mischievously.

‘Dream on,’ said Gary.

‘Us or you?’ said Tiger.

‘Both. For all you know I might be turning over a new leaf.’

‘Can a leopard change its spots?’ asked Tiger.

‘That’s rich, coming from a man with your name,’ said Gary, relieved to break the mood. ‘Another pint then?’

But none of them seemed to have the appetite for it, and it didn’t seem right to Tiger to pursue the matter of the protection racket. Not now. Having been fired with missionary zeal, he went home to Erica more than a little crestfallen. He didn’t tell her what he had suggested. He didn’t want to be shot down in flames yet again.

There could be no denying that Christopher Devon felt a bit of a heel. He hadn’t really wanted to let Tiger down, but felt there was simply no way he could involve himself in such a harebrained scheme.

Gary, on the other hand, was now convinced that the Red Dragon figured somewhere in Mr Tan’s scheme. He was still not sure how, but he had to find out more about this potential protection racket before Tiger started thrashing around and clouding the water. He hoped he had been sufficiently discouraging over the dominoes without drawing too much attention to himself. What he needed to do was to get Tiger out of the way for a few days. Then he and Sarah could get stuck in. The solution was relatively straightforward.