The door remained closed, so Collis rang again. By now, the loafers across the street were regarding him fixedly, their hands of cards unplayed, their pipes clenched between their teeth, and even one or two passers-by turned to stare at Collis with unabashed interest. Whatever they did in San Francisco, they certainly didn’t mind their own business.

‘It doesn’t seem they’re answering,’ Collis remarked uncomfortably.

‘Maybe they all in bed,’ said Billy.

‘In bed? It’s only lunchtime. It’s the middle of the working day.’

‘That’s why they all in bed.’ Billy cackled.

Collis rang for a third time, and quite abruptly the front door was opened, and a tall handsome woman with Titian hair tied up in black ribbons came stepping out on to the boardwalk. Her teeth were crooked, but in her lowcut black satin gown, which displayed a healthy acreage of soft and freckled bosom, you wouldn’t have noticed, or even if you noticed, you wouldn’t have minded. The loafers across the street all began to cheer and whistle and stamp their feet, and Collis found himself heatedly embarrassed.

‘Hallo, Billy,’ said the woman coolly to the coachman, and then she turned her green-eyed gaze on to Collis, her fingers playing absent-mindedly with the diamonds at her neck. She reminded Collis of the type of woman who would lustily introduce inexperienced boys into the arts and crafts of lovemaking, all low cooing cries of encouragement and white wobbling thighs.

The woman gave Collis an almost imperceptible curtsy. ‘You must be a friend of Charles’s,’ she said, showing her crooked teeth in a smile. ‘Well, any friend of Charles’s is welcome here. Particularly such a gentlemanly one. We do have to cater to all sorts, you know, and it’s pleasant sometimes to have a little style.’

‘My name’s Collis Edmonds, ma’am, out of New York,’ said Collis. ‘Mr Tucker suggested I might be able to stay here for a few days. If that’s convenient, of course.’

He gave the woman one of his melting, hurt-looking smiles, and he knew damned well it was going to be convenient. It was probably such a rarity for her and her girls to have a properly dressed gentleman ringing at their door that they would have taken him in for his collar studs alone. She lifted her hand to be kissed and said, ‘I’m Jane Spalding. Most people call me Knickerbocker Jane. Why don’t you come on in? You look as if you could use a drink, and maybe some light luncheon.’