Mabel had sat down rather pointedly on Treasure’s foot and was glaring up at him. When he failed to acknowledge her, she batted his shin with her paw and then grabbed the hem of his jeans and tugged it with her teeth.

‘All right, all right! I surrender,’ Treasure laughed. ‘As if I’d dare to forget you, Mabel.’

He produced a brown paper bag from his jacket pocket containing two slices of best roast ham, which Mabel sniffed carefully, then wolfed down before burping loudly.

‘Manners, Mabel!’ Imelda admonished and Mabel whirled her tail, not in the least bit sorry.

Treasure surveyed the disorder inside the booth.

‘So, what have you two been up to all afternoon?’

Billie brushed the dust from her clothes and picked up her tea.

‘We’re making room for my seaside stock.’

‘Billie is going to be leasing the front of the booth to sell vintage seaside paraphernalia, and I shall continue with my readings in the back room as and when the fancy takes me,’ Imelda explained.

Treasure placed his arm around Imelda’s shoulders and gave her a hug. ‘Sounds like a plan. I’m glad we’re not going to be losing you from the prom completely. And Billie, where will you be getting your stuff, sorry, stock from?’

Billie shrugged slowly. ‘That’s the part of the plan that I’m still planning. But I think maybe car boot sales, house clearances, auctions, that kind of thing. I’m not intending to open for business for a few weeks yet, so I’ve got some time.’

‘Well let me know if you need any help, either with getting some stock together or sorting this place out. I’d be happy to lend a hand.’

Imelda smiled. She had been very fond of Treasure ever since he was a little boy, and now she hoped that he and Billie would be friends.

‘And what about Mabel? What’s she going to be doing?’

Imelda clicked her fingers and Mabel stood to attention and bared her teeth, her tail whirling furiously. ‘I’m training her to be the bouncer.’

Treasure laughed. ‘I’m not sure which end to believe, teeth or tail.’

‘That’s the beauty of it,’ replied Imelda.

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Now

Billie peered at a peculiar looking pufferfish in a glass-fronted case. It looked angry, as well it might be, with its corpse skewered by two metal pins and suspended above a wooden silhouette of blue-painted waves.

‘Well, he’s unusual, but I’m not sure many people would want him grimacing down at them from their mantelpiece.’