Christopher sighed. ‘I don’t want to get hurt myself. Again. The trouble is that if I just sit here and wrap myself in cotton wool I’m not going to meet anybody. And then I just start looking inwards the whole time. It’s not a good thing, Ellie. And, anyway, I’m starting off gently. I’m not committing myself to anything. You’ll like Maria. She’s very nice. And fun…and…well, you’ll meet her on Monday. I hope you like her.’

‘And if I don’t?’ she teased.

‘You will. I know you will.’

Gary looked pleased with himself. He was leafing through a report and making satisfied little grunts as he did so.

‘What are you looking at?’ asked Sarah.

‘A police file on our friend who was trying to sell protection.’

‘How have you got that?’

‘Well, I tipped the wink to the Hampshire Constabulary and asked them to keep an eye open. Said that if they managed to collar him to be very gentle on him and let him off lightly. But that I wanted chapter and verse on who he was.’

‘And you’ve got it?’

Gary tapped the file. ‘I’ve got it. It seems that he went back to see Erica again and she called the police. Fortunately someone was sharp enough to stop them from being too heavy and our man in black–Kevin Whittier–has been released into the big, wide world again. No clues though. He’s got no previous form.’

‘But it’s unlikely he’ll go back to demanding money, isn’t it?’

‘For a while I should think. But he might lead us to someone bigger. We’re keeping tabs on him.’

‘Oh,’ said Sarah, with a hint of disappointment in her voice. ‘Does that mean that I can’t come to the domino club tonight?’

‘It means you don’t have to.’

‘Shame really. I was quite looking forward to it.’

‘Well, come then. I don’t mind.’ He wondered whether he should have said it. It was nothing more than vanity really. But Tiger and Christopher had given him such stick for not being able to hang on to women that he wanted to show them the sort of woman he could get if he put his mind to it. Not that he had got her just yet. But given time…and if she really did want to come.

‘Fine. I will.’

So it was done. And there was no way he could backtrack.

Tiger wished there was some way he could backtrack. It had been nothing more than a kiss, but he would be fooling himself if he tried to believe he had not enjoyed it. And it was definitely more than a peck.