Tuesday was gawking at Jeff as though he’d lost his mind. The crazy Scottish accent had been nothing compared to this. But Barb was totally smitten with the idea, and probably with the handsome war hero as well. With a conspiratorial warmth in her voice she said, ‘Hold on.’

Jeff heard Barb’s muffled voice calling ‘Grace Kirk? It’s your brother Ben on the phone, love.’ Moments later, Grace came on the line, sounding bemused but full of happiness.

‘Hello? Ben? Is that you? How’d you know I was here? What’s this about you being my brother?’

Jeff was suddenly rock-hard serious. ‘Miss Kirk, I need you to listen to me very carefully, and whatever you do, please don’t hang up the phone. My name is Jeff Dekker. I’m Ben’s business partner and his oldest friend. I’m calling you like this because you’re in danger and I’m here to get you out of it.’

Now Grace’s confusion was off the scale and the happiness had melted like a snowball tossed into a volcano. ‘Whoa, hold on. Where is he? Is he all right? What’s happening?’

‘I’ll explain what I know, but I don’t have time to talk right now.’

‘Ben’s mentioned a Jeff Dekker, but how do I know you’re him?’

Grace had launched into full-on suspect-grilling mode. Jeff had anticipated she’d act this way, given who she was. He said, ‘Ask me something Ben would never tell anyone except the people closest to him.’

She thought for a moment. ‘Okay. What happened to his sister Sally?’

Nice try, Jeff thought. ‘He doesn’t have a sister Sally. Her name’s Ruth and she was kidnapped during a family holiday to Morocco when she was a little girl. Ben found her again, years later. Now she lives in Switzerland.’

‘And what’s his son’s name?’

‘Jude. He’s been living in the States with his ball-breaker girlfriend Rae, but they’ve split up and he’s coming back home to live in Oxfordshire. He’s got a little dog called Scruffy, who Ben was taking care of at Le Val. Please trust me, Grace. This is real.’

Jeff could hear the wheels spinning furiously in her mind. After a long pause she said, ‘This is pretty wild. But let’s say I believe you are who you say. Tell me what I’m supposed to do.’

‘Act casual. They’re watching.’

‘Who’s watching?’

Jeff didn’t want to tell her about the two men in the black Range Rover, in case she went storming outside to confront them – or worse, to try to arrest them. ‘The woman you’re having lunch with. She works with you at the station, correct?’

‘Kirsty,’ Grace said, sounding more baffled than ever. ‘She’s in admin.’

‘Is she carrying a mobile?’

‘Who doesn’t?’