‘Nice to meet you,’ James said. ‘I would have got you a drink, if I’d known. I can go back to the bar and get you something?’

‘That’s OK,’ Vicki said. She had an accent which James couldn’t quite identify. Her eyes were very dark, which gave her an intense look. ‘I’ll get a drink in a bit. But thanks.’

James sat at the table. ‘Where are you from?’

‘Durham.’

‘You go to university there?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m from there. Left as soon as I could.’

‘You didn’t like it?’

She shrugged. ‘You could say that. And I got a job here.’

‘What do you do for work?’

‘Data scientist.’

‘Sounds impressive,’ James said. ‘Not that I know what it means.’

‘Me neither,’ Vicki said. ‘But they pay well.’

‘Next round on you, then,’ James said.

Vicki smiled. ‘Maybe.’

An hour later Vicki went to the bathroom. Najla sat beside him, grinning.

‘Well,’ she said. ‘You and Vicki seem to be getting on. I thought you might.’

‘She’s nice.’

Najla raised an eyebrow. ‘So? Summer fling?’

James shook his head. ‘Nah,’ he said. ‘No point. I’m off to Warwick soon.’

‘That leaves the whole of summer,’ Najla said. ‘And she’s very nice.’

‘Not my type,’ James said. ‘But thanks for thinking of me.’

‘So,’ Mo said. ‘Are we staying here or moving on? It’s ten now, so if we want to go somewhere else, we need to make a move.’

‘Where do you have in mind?’ Toby said. ‘Town? Go to a club?’

‘I can’t handle a club,’ Andy said. ‘Too much bother.’

‘Maybe another pub? The Lion?’ Mo said. ‘Or park here?’

‘Here’s good for me,’ James said. ‘But I’m easy.’

‘Let’s make up our minds,’ Mo said. ‘Stay or go?’

James was about to reply when he saw a tall, thin figure walking from the bathroom to the bar. It took him a moment to realize who it was. When he did, his stomach tightened.

It was Kevin.

Maggie’s old boyfriend.

He glanced at James, then paused. He nodded a greeting; James raised his hand.

Please, he thought, please move on. I don’t want to talk to you.

He had seen him on and off over the years, but they were not the same age and did not have the same friends.

And then, of course, there was the awkwardness. There had been rumours, for a while after Maggie’s disappearance, that Kevin had a hand in it. He was her boyfriend, after all, and in the absence of any other suspects he was as good a bet as anyone.

Kevin turned and walked towards him.

‘Hi, James,’ he said. ‘How’s it going?’ There was a hush around the table.