“I’ve already ordered a chocolate cupcake,” Lizzie admitted. “I have a very sweet tooth.”

The cake arrived, and with it a latte for Arthur. He sat back in his chair and took a long, heartfelt swallow of the coffee whilst Lizzie took the thatched roof lid off the teapot, stirred its contents and poured. She thought of all the things she needed to talk to him about and tried to work out how to start.

“Why did you do it?” she blurted out. “Why did you put up the bail money?”

Arthur laughed. “That’s direct. Has no one ever done you a favour before?”

“Not on this scale,” Lizzie said, “and not without wanting something in return.”

Arthur raised his brows. “And that’s cynical.”

“You didn’t tell the police about Johnny’s notebook either,” Lizzie said bluntly. “Why not?”

“Is this an interrogation?” Arthur looked to be enjoying himself.

“If you like,” Lizzie said. “Why didn’t you tell them?”

Reaching into his pocket, Arthur tossed the green notebook down onto the table between them. “I didn’t think it would do you any favours if they knew it had been found in your flat.”

“That’s true,” Lizzie said. “Especially since Johnny’s phone was apparently found there. Did you plant it on me?”

“I’d hardly plant one piece of incriminating evidence and remove another, would I?” Arthur said.

“You might,” Lizzie said, “if it was a double bluff.”

“I don’t even begin to understand that,” Arthur said. He leaned forward. “Look, Lizzie, I’m a pretty straightforward sort of person. I don’t play games. You’ll just have to take my word for it that I didn’t plant the phone on you. Anna says she didn’t put it there either, so Johnny must have dropped it and you simply didn’t notice sooner.”

“I don’t think so,” Lizzie said, frowning. “Johnny told me he had left his phone in the car. Unfortunately, he didn’t say who had given him a lift the night he came to find me. It was just a casual remark at the time and I didn’t think to ask.”

“Well, it wasn’t me,” Arthur said, “and Anna doesn’t have a car.”

“OK.” Lizzie’s shoulders slumped. “I suppose it’s just another thing that doesn’t make sense, then.”

There was quiet for a moment. The waitress brought Arthur a piece of fruit cake and another chocolate cupcake for Lizzie. All around them the shop hummed with visitors and chatter, it felt warm and the air was scented with freshly baked cakes, but Lizzie still felt edgy. She thought about letting the whole time travel thing go, ignoring her instincts and not saying anything to Arthur. Then she wondered if that made her sensible or just a coward.

“I had something else to ask you,” she said in a rush. Her palm itched and she closed her fingers tightly over it. “This is going to sound weird,” she said, “but bear with me.”

Arthur looked amused. “Is it weirder than all the other stuff that’s already happened?”