‘It makes no material difference. You were protecting Star, and God knows she deserved it. Ruby would have been proud of you.’

‘I still miss her, you know.’

‘Of course you do. She was your mother.’

Treasure smiled. ‘Well, yes, I miss Mum too. But I meant Star.’

Imelda shuffled her cards.

‘Then maybe it’s time you rescued another dog. Let’s ask, shall we?’

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Now

Mabel was chasing a large white feather across the pebbles on the beach. The wind teased her, dropping it tantalisingly close and then whisking it up into the air again. Imelda had asked Billie to give her some time to speak to Treasure in private. Billie was curious to know what it was they needed to discuss, but she hadn’t asked. Imelda had been right when she had described the booth as a confessional. It seemed that it was still keeping secrets safe inside its freshly painted walls.

Billie was quite glad to have a reason to wander down the prom. She was trying to bump into MI5 Clive. She hadn’t seen him since he’d told her that he had witnessed her abandonment. She was hoping to persuade him to tell her more about it. Billie had reluctantly relinquished the idea that Imelda was her birth mother. For that to be true, Clive would have to be lying, and she couldn’t think of any good reason why he would. And what justification could Imelda possibly have for not telling her? It was a shame though. Billie would have liked it to be Imelda. Mabel arrived back at her feet, panting but with the feather clamped firmly between her teeth. Her tail was spinning with proud excitement.

‘Well done!’ Billie praised her. ‘You’re a champion feather fetcher.’

Billie checked her watch. They had been wandering for just over half an hour. She wasn’t sure how long would be long enough. The wind was skimming ribbons of grey cloud across a sullen sky and Billie’s hands and feet were getting cold.

‘Come on, Mabel. Let’s go and get a cappuccino.’

The Tea Leaf was quiet, with few customers, but there in a corner, poring over an old telephone directory, was MI5 Clive. Billie hesitated, wondering how to play it. Asking to join him seemed too forward, so she chose the neighbouring table, pretending not to notice him until she had sat down. Once the customary protracted greetings had been exchanged, Clive resumed his scrutiny of the telephone directory and Amber came over to take Billie’s order.

‘No Imelda today?’ she asked.

‘She’s seeing someone in the booth at the moment.’

Amber went off to make her coffee and Billie wondered if she had said the right thing. ‘Seeing someone’ sounded a bit odd, but then she didn’t want to say it was Treasure in case their meeting itself was a secret.