Ralph smiled, revealing a dazzling set of perfect white teeth. ‘They all love a bit of gossip when it’s not about them.’ He looked in the direction of the ops room. ‘If you hang on here I’ll go and ask Flight if it’s all right for me to drive you.’

Beth stood outside the ops room as she waited for Ralph. The sun was blazing down and she wished she could take off her hat and jacket, even if just for a minute or so to cool down. The room in which they had held the investigation had been hot and stuffy, with no means of ventilation, and with the accusations weighing heavily on her mind, she had got hotter and hotter, made worse by the fear that her sweaty face made her appear guilty.

Ralph reappeared, jiggling a set of keys, and smiled broadly at her. ‘Done.’ He walked towards one of the cars and opened the passenger door for Beth. ‘M’lady!’

‘Thanks, Jeeves,’ Beth chuckled as she slid into the passenger seat. She blanched as her tights connected with the hot leather. ‘It’s worse in here than it is out there!’ she moaned.

Ralph rolled down the window and placed his arm across the back of Beth’s seat as he looked over his shoulder to reverse.

As they left the base, Beth tried to roll her window down but it was stuck fast. ‘Damn and blast. It’s like a sodding oven in here.’ She looked at Ralph, her hand on her cap. ‘Do you mind?’

He shook his head. ‘Not a bit. You’ll melt with that on.’

Beth thankfully removed her cap. ‘I wouldn’t mind taking my jacket off as well.’

Ralph shrugged. ‘Go for your life, I won’t tell if you don’t.’

Beth leaned forward, her arms behind her back, and wriggled around until she managed to get her arms out of the sleeves. She cast her jacket on to the back seat with a sigh of relief, although the effort of all the wriggling had left her hotter than ever.

Ralph glanced at her. ‘Funny how things turn out.’

She mopped her brow with the hanky he had given her. ‘How’d you mean?’

‘If someone had told me a couple of months ago that the two of us would be on the same side, I’d have laughed at them.’

Beth nodded. ‘I’d agree with you there …’ She hesitated. ‘Why did you dislike me so much? I’ve never done anything to you.’

He pulled a face. ‘You reminded me of my ex. I assumed you were cut from the same cloth, as it were.’

‘What did she do exactly?’ Beth asked.

His jaw flinched. ‘Cheated on me. I did everything for that woman – fancy clothes, meals out, the works – but apparently, it wasn’t enough for her.’