‘Well, I thought it might be a bit more private. I didn’t want to do my…courting…in public. In front of patients, with them all nudging and winking.’

‘I’d never thought of that.’

‘No. Most people don’t. There’s no anonymity when you’re the local doctor. They all mutter and give each other knowing glances. Well, they would if given half a chance. So I thought I was safer here. Wrongly as it turns out.’

‘But Maria. She seems very nice.’

Ellie noticed that her father’s whole demeanour changed at the mention of her name. The hunted look disappeared. His face relaxed.

‘Yes. She is. And she likes gardening. And opera. Your mum never…well…’

‘No,’ said Ellie softly.

‘And we talk. A lot. About all kinds of things.’

‘And there’s no other man in her life?’

‘Not as far as I can make out. I mean, I haven’t asked her or anything. But there’s no sign of a man round at the house. Her children have left home. Apparently she’s divorced, so Erica told me. Has been for some time.’

‘Well I think it’s lovely.’

‘Do you now?’ Christopher got up and walked over to the Aga. ‘I only hope you think the same about your dinner. What would you say to a little fish?’

‘Hello little fish,’ she said.

Tiger and Erica were sitting down to a meal of their own when the call came at half past ten that evening.

‘Mr Wilson?’

‘Yes.’

‘Do you think you could come down to the police station please? We’ve caught someone trying to break into your shop.’

They went down together. Tiger drove.

‘Do you think it’s him?’ asked Erica.

‘They didn’t say.’

‘If they’ve got him that would be such a result.’

‘Yes. I’d like to punch his lights out.’

Erica seemed surprised. ‘That’s not like you.’

‘Well, we’ve never been done over like this before. I didn’t realize how I’d feel about it I suppose.’

‘Well, now you know.’

‘Yes. I mean, we’re not that well off. Comfortable, yes, but not rolling in it. And whatever we’ve got we’ve earned. It just pisses me off that somebody else thinks they can have it by lobbing a brick through your window. It’s as if they’re saying “Why waste your time working for it, mate, when all you need is a bit of muscle?” It makes me angry.’

Erica rested her hand on his arm as he was driving. ‘It really doesn’t matter you know. Not that much.’

‘It does matter. It matters to me.’

She sat quietly for the rest of the journey. The police station was only a few minutes away. They parked outside and walked up the steps.

Tiger spoke to the young policeman behind the desk. ‘The name’s Wilson. You caught someone trying to break into our shop.’