‘It gets dark soon at this time of year, doesn’t it?’ Gemma complained as they went back to the hotel to sit in the bar area and read their books. Thank heavens they were both well supplied with e-books on their tablets.

At one point she said, ‘I’m going to need a warmer coat than the one I’ve brought, Dad.’

‘We’ll go shopping and buy you one.’

‘Just for a few weeks? We could look in a charity shop first. I’ve found some great clothes in them. Mum freaked out about that but I didn’t care. I like to look a bit different.’

‘I’ve never even been in a charity shop, so it’ll be a new experience. You’ll get more used to the weather after a few days anyway, I expect.’

‘Even weather as cold as this?’

He grinned. ‘Spoken like a true Aussie. Yes, even this cold. Make the most of the experience, and we only have to see some snow then you can really call yourself an experienced international traveller.’

She nodded, looking sad suddenly. ‘Mum would never bring me to the UK. I know why now, but I was so jealous of my school friends. Most of them have spent holidays in Europe. We always went somewhere in Asia.’

‘If you and I weren’t on a specific mission, I’d take you on a tour of some of my favourite places near the Mediterranean, where it’s warmer. The history here is fascinating, though, and they make a lot of it very accessible to visitors. I still marvel that I’ve actually walked on Hadrian’s Wall.’

‘Wow. I’d like to do that.’

‘We’ll see if we can fit it in, then. You’d better start making a list.’

As they parted company for the night, he said, ‘The detective will be back at work tomorrow. Maybe he’ll have news for us.’

He wasn’t hopeful. It felt as if he was looking for a needle in a haystack. He wasn’t even sure Dorothy had had the baby.

Anyway, he still hadn’t worked out what to do if he did have a living child in England. He or she would be a year or so older than Gemma.

She’d said she’d love to have a brother or sister, but what if she and whoever it was didn’t get on?

He punched the pillow into shape and tried once more to get to sleep, but it was a long time before he succeeded.

The following morning Adam rang the detective he’d hired from Australia to do some preliminary searching for Dorothy. He got a recorded message, which asked him to phone another number.

Wondering what the hell was going on, he did this and got an office called ‘Secure Answering Services’.

‘I was trying to contact Mr Topham, who’s been doing some work for me.’

‘And your name is?’

‘Adam Torrington.’

‘Just a moment.’

After a couple of minutes of canned music, the woman came back online. ‘We have a message for you, Mr Torrington. Do you have a pen handy? Right. Mr Topham’s wife is seriously ill and he isn’t able to continue working for you. There is some paperwork about what he’s discovered so far that I’m authorised to pass on to you if you can come into this office. We keep a skeleton staff on during the last week in December.’ She gave him an address, adding, ‘And, of course, there will be no charge from Mr Topham.’