Sarah leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head, mocking him now as she went through the simple litany: ‘Badminton then. All those feathers. Or bowls. Indoor bowls, yes, that’s it–nice and gentle. And warm.’

No response.

‘Oh, mind you, it could be poker. Lots of interest in poker nowadays. Texas holdall, or whatever it is. Are you part of a poker school?’

Gary stopped and looked her in the eye. ‘Dominoes.’

‘What?’

‘You heard. We play dominoes over a pint. Nothing glamorous, no high stakes, just a bit of fun.’

‘But dominoes is…’

‘If you say it’s an old man’s game Sarah Perry I shall chase you round this office with a rolled-up newspaper and beat you on the bottom until you can’t sit down.’

‘Harassment! I could have you for harassment!’ she cried.

‘Yes, I bet you could.’

She leaned forward on her elbows and stared at him. ‘It wouldn’t do any harm. Might ginger them up a bit. And if you got Tiger talking about things then I could suggest that we couldn’t progress it until we identified the man in black.’

‘We?’

‘Well, you’d have to let me join in, wouldn’t you? Join the domino school.’

‘It’s not a school it’s just a bit of fun, and what do you think the others would say if I took a woman along?’

‘Probably be jealous. Anyway, who are “the others”?’

‘There’s only one. Christopher Devon. Local doctor. Well, he was local, he does locum work now–down Romsey way.’

‘Dishy doctor?’

Gary looked up. ‘You’ve perked up, for someone who’s just been dumped.’

The cheerful expression on Sarah’s face dissolved. ‘Thank you for reminding me.’

‘Sorry. I mean…well…’ He tried to brighten her up. ‘Depends what you call dishy. Tall. Fair-ish. Thinning a bit on top. But he seems to send most women weak at the knees. Thing is, he just can’t see it. No confidence.’

‘Unlike some I could mention,’ retorted Sarah, busying herself with the contents of a file, the spark having died from her eyes. ‘So is he married, this doctor?’

‘Divorced.’

‘Any attachments?’

‘Not that I know of. Anyway, why are you so interested?’

‘Just curious. If you take me with you I’d like to be a bit prepared, that’s all. Only doing my research.’

Why he felt a need to go along with her he could not say, though to any outsider it would have been obvious that he would do anything, well, almost anything, to please her. After half an hour he heard himself say that he would think about it, which was about the nearest he could come to resisting her charms. For now.