Al walks home, out of the town and along the creek. He hadn’t realized how dark it is in the country with only the lighted windows of the few cottages at the head of the creek to guide him. It’s so quiet; only the sound of the rising tide lapping gently along the shore. He looks up at the stars blotted with mist and into the dense shadows of the trees. Nothing is familiar and he glances behind him, feeling ill at ease and longing for company. As he climbs the steps up to the garden and crosses the lawn he’s glad to hear Reggie’s bark. He lets him out into the garden for a quick scout round, then they both go in and Al locks the door behind them. He wanders into the kitchen, back into the sitting-room, wondering what to do for the rest of the evening. At intervals he glances at his phone. Last weekend he went to a school reunion for the first time and met up with his old friends. They’ve been texting each other since and it’s rather fun being back in touch.

He’s still annoyed with Cosmo. Perhaps he should have given him more warning of his plan to come down to Salcombe, but the whole point was to take Cosmo by surprise and see just exactly what was going on. Al gives a disgruntled sigh. Well, now he knows. He thinks of Amy’s face, of how he sidestepped her question, and he feels angry all over again at being involved.

He reaches for the remote. Reggie comes to sit beside him, and he settles down to watch the news. It’s some time later before he gets a reply from Cosmo.

Thanks for that, mate! Becks saw your text and I got the third degree and she’s chucked me out. I’m back at mine but I’m not giving in. I’ll go round tomorrow so I shan’t be coming back just yet. Over to you.

Al stares at the text in consternation. He hadn’t foreseen anything like this. His first thought is of himself. If Cosmo doesn’t come back he’s stuck. He can’t simply leave Reggie and go back to London. He presses the call button and Cosmo answers almost at once.

‘What happened?’ asks Al without preamble. ‘How the hell did she see the text?’

‘We were sitting on the sofa together,’ says Cosmo. ‘We’d been texting a mutual friend and she was looking over my shoulder at the replies. Yours came in and we both just read it.’

‘Christ!’ exclaims Al. ‘Look, I’m sorry, mate, but you really shouldn’t be playing away. You asked for it. Did she see Amy’s texts, too?’

‘I’d blocked them. It never occurred to me that you might sabotage me.’

Al is silent for a minute, feeling guilty. Then he remembers his own predicament.