Imelda stood up and held her at arm’s length, staring at her in disbelief before pulling her in close for a hug.

‘Treasure told me that a woman called Billie wants to talk to me about Larkins and that I would probably find her here,’ Jeanie said when Imelda had finally released her.

‘That’s right. She’s gone out with Mabel, my dog, but I doubt she’ll be long. Why don’t you come in and sit down for a bit?’

Jeanie followed Imelda inside the booth. ‘Treasure said that Billie had a little shop inside the booth, but surely you haven’t stopped giving readings, have you?’

Imelda shook her head. ‘I tried to retire, but I missed it too much.’

‘I never forgot the reading you gave me at Larkins. You told me that singing would bring me happiness and great success.’

‘And the cards were right, weren’t they?’

‘Yes. But that reading gave me the guts to try – to follow my dream.’

‘With a voice like yours, you were never going to fail.’

‘Do you have any idea what Billie wants to talk to me about? I asked Treasure, but all he would say was that it wasn’t his story to tell.’

‘I have a pretty good idea. And I don’t mind telling you, because it’s partly my story too.’

Jeanie sat up very straight in her chair as though bracing herself for what was to come.

‘A few days after you left Larkins all those years ago to work in London, a baby was abandoned in the doorway of my booth. A baby girl, and I found her.’ Imelda watched Jeanie’s face, trying to gauge her reaction, but so far, she had only registered surprise.

‘The child was adopted but knew nothing about it until both her adoptive parents had died. That child was Billie and she’s trying to find out who her birth parents are.

‘Her birth mother found a way of passing some things on to Billie without revealing her own identity, including a photograph of her father. But it’s a group photograph and Billie has no idea which of the men is her father.’

Jeanie remained very still and said nothing.

‘It’s a photograph of the entertainment staff at Larkins at the time when you and I both worked there. I think that Billie just wants to ask you what you remember about the people in the photograph.’

‘Billie’s quite an unusual name, isn’t it?’ Imelda could see the disquiet beginning to cloud Jeanie’s face.

‘Yes. She was wearing a silver bracelet engraved with her name when I found her.’

This detail clearly unsettled Jeanie.

‘And does Billie have any idea who her birth mother might be?’

Imelda handed Jeanie the magazine, which was open at the appropriate page.

‘A witness believes that he saw that woman abandon Billie as a baby.’