He hung up and frowned at Will. ‘Liz said that she’d forgotten to tell me earlier, but she thought you should know that when she arrived at Holland House with the photographs, Kate wasn’t there. Then she saw her walking back from the sea bank, and that Gerald Grove character was with her. Kate told her that Grove had given her some butterfly wings that she wanted for a new painting. Liz tactfully suggested that he wasn’t the nicest of men to hang around with, but Kate shrugged it off with an, “Oh, he’s harmless. Everyone has it wrong about him, just because he prefers his own company.”’

Will swore. ‘I’ve warned her, and she takes no bloody notice. Maybe I should tell her what you guys have found out about him and see how she responds to that.’

Matt looked dubious. ‘I’d keep that to yourself for now, mate. Once I’m back, we’ll keep a really close eye on that piece of shit. Then we’ll see.’

An hour or so later, Will went back to his room. He checked his phone but there had been no messages or missed calls. He decided to ring her. After a few rings, the tinny version of his own voice greeted him for the second time that day.

He sighed and told the voice that their flight was due in at around three the following afternoon. He would be home soon.

He fell into bed and dreamed of monsters with butterfly wings.

* * *

Will awoke unrefreshed and wandered over to the tray of packaged beverages. Tea wasn’t on offer, so he made himself a cup of instant coffee and powdered creamer. It was better than nothing when his mouth felt like he had been on the beer all night.

Still in his pyjamas and robe, he went and knocked on Matt’s door. ‘Fancy going down for a swim before breakfast? I need something to clear my head.’

‘Good idea. Give me five and I’ll be with you.’ Matt yawned. ‘Might wake me up.’

They swam for half an hour, then went back to their rooms to pack their things, ready for that evening’s departure. Will went down to the reception and found that their bills — including their inroads into the minibar — had all been taken care of. The Royal Canadian Air Force had collected the tab.

He was just about to go and tell Matt about their generosity when he saw Mitch hurrying in through the front doors.

‘Problem, Will. The flight has been delayed again. Now it’s not going until tomorrow morning.’

Will’s heart sank. For a minute he wondered if he could get Matt and himself a last-minute cancellation on a commercial airline.