I didn’t for one minute think this question would not arise at some point. ‘Tell me first’ – I smiled and eased Achille a few steps closer – ‘why you accepted the invitation, if you thought it was something more than a local Camarguais native offering friendship.’

‘You’re an awkward cuss to pin down,’ he laughed.

But by then I’d slid out of the stirrups, swung my leg over Achille’s broad haunches and vaulted to the ground.

‘Let’s give them a break,’ I suggested.

He nodded but didn’t move. For a moment I thought he might gallop off. It didn’t worry me. If I whistled Tonnerre would come. But he jumped down and together we ambled towards one of the pools where the water glared bright as a searchlight in the harsh sunlight. Shadows were lengthening and bees darted in and out of the purple flowers heavy with pollen. The horses lowered their heads to graze and the major asked his question again.

‘Why did you invite me out here?’

Joel Dirke was a man used to getting answers.

‘I have a suggestion to make,’ I said. ‘I thought you might pass it on to your CO.’

It didn’t go down well. He flipped off his hat, his dark hair still springy but edged with a line of sweat, and fanned himself with its brim.

‘My CO has plenty on his hands right now, dealing with the murder of Senior Master Sergeant Michael Ashton. In Serriac. In broad daylight.’

I couldn’t blame him for the flash of anger.

‘I understand,’ I said quietly. ‘It was terrible. Everyone is in shock in the town. But my point is that even though it was the protesters who did the damage, there is a sense that the air base is to blame. Emotions are ready to overflow.’

His dark eyes never left my face.

‘So,’ I continued, ‘I am suggesting that Dumoulin Air Base sets up a public relations exercise to calm everyone down.’

Still no comment. Just the stare. The waiting.

‘I believe that it would improve the situation by calming nerves.’

A pair of wading birds, black and white pied avocets, glided down to the pool and their long stiletto beaks started jabbing in the shallows. I thought of the knife jabbing into Mickey’s back.

‘You could issue an invitation to a select group of town dignitaries to visit the base. A kind of inspection. To reassure them. To explain how safely the nuclear element is stored.’ I ran a hand down Achille’s warm flank to give my words time to settle. ‘To impress them not only by your American expertise but by your hand of friendship.’

I didn’t look at him. I busied myself pulling out some tangles and burrs from my horse’s white coat and giving him a good scratch behind his ears.

‘Eloïse.’