Steph stiffened at the mention of the name Sinclair. She’d been alert before but now she was super-alert for very different reasons. It sounded like she’d just heard a drugs deal take place involving one of the Sinclair brothers. It certainly wasn’t Harry but whether it was Dominic or Owen she couldn’t tell. She wasn’t tuned in to their voices and wouldn’t be able to recognise them just from hearing their welcome speeches yesterday. God, she wanted to know which one it was. She knew who her money was on … Dominic.

‘Nice doing business with you, Mr Sinclair. See you again soon, no doubt.’

She heard footsteps recede and then whichever brother it was utter a pretty crude insult directed at the other guy. Very slowly, she leaned back just so she could see around the corner. She really didn’t want to move her feet, frightened her heels would make a noise on the tiled floor.

As she peeked around the corner she could see a man standing with his back to her, looking at something in his hand. From his build and hair, she was pretty sure it was Owen. He began to walk back towards the hall and Steph breathed a sigh of relief and dropped her shoulders, which had been hunched up as she’d stood undetected. Unfortunately, her hand caught the corner of the wall and the mascara brush she was holding was knocked from her fingers, hitting the floor with a small but unmistakable clatter.

She stooped to pick up the mascara, aware that Owen had stopped walking. She sensed rather than saw him turn to see where the noise had come from.

‘Bloody thing,’ she muttered out loud and then looked up with faux surprise. ‘Oh, sorry, didn’t see you there,’ she said, trying her best to look embarrassed at swearing.

Owen eyed her with suspicion. ‘Where have you come from?’

‘I’ve just come out of the toilets,’ said Steph, putting the make-up back in her bag.

Owen’s eyes darted from Steph to the toilet door on the other side of the hall. ‘Just now?’

‘Yes,’ said Steph, injecting a defensive tone to her own voice. ‘Is that a problem?’

He walked back towards her and Steph felt her heart beginning to hammer hard against her breastbone. ‘Were you standing there just now? When I was talking to someone?’

‘No.’ She didn’t like the look in his eyes. The pupils were dilated and there was a slightly glazed look about them. She’d seen it before when someone was high, and she guessed Owen had already taken drugs tonight. The thought made her nervous. ‘If you’ll excuse me.’ She went to walk past him, but Owen moved in front of her.

‘Are you sure you didn’t hear me talking to someone just now?’

‘Positive. Now, please, can you move out of the way?’

‘Owen!’