Donna was delighted. ‘I’m starving. We haven’t eaten since that ham sandwich this afternoon, and the amount we’ve drunk!’ Her voice was slightly louder than usual and Alan laughed gently.

‘One thing in my favour, Donna, I could always handle me drink. I take after me old man in that way.’

Donna moved sideways in her seat so she could look at him as he drove.

‘Do you come up this way a lot? Only everyone seems to know you and Georgio.’

Alan carried on talking as if he hadn’t heard her. ‘My old man could drink anyone under the table. In fact, it was a scam he used. In a pub, right, my old man would bet the biggest navvy in the place that he could drink him under the table. He’d put a ton on the bar and ask him to match it. Then he’d drink the fucker under the table!’

He snorted at the skulduggery of his father. ‘Old ponce he was, I hated him.’

He pulled into a parking space and said gaily, ‘Here we are then, girl. The Amber House.’

A few minutes later they were sitting inside the restaurant. The proprietor knew Alan and he showed them to a quiet table. Donna lit a cigarette. Leaning on the table she said, ‘You didn’t answer my question, Alan. Do you come up this way very often, and how come everyone knows Georgio? If you don’t answer me I might start doing a little bit of investigating myself.’

Her voice was jocular, but he heard the steely undertone.

‘You smoke too much, lady.’

Donna gave a nasty little laugh that jolted him.

‘You must think I’m stupid, Alan Cox. I’m a grown woman, and I want an answer to my bloody question! I’m not a child to be put off with anecdotes and smarmy references to my general health and well-being! Now, are you going to answer me?’

He sipped his scotch and grinned annoyingly. ‘Why do you always want to know everything? Why can’t you just get this little lot sorted out and be done with it? Jesus, I don’t envy Georgio being married to you, love. It must feel like being shacked up with someone in the CPS. Always asking questions - questions, I might add, you probably wouldn’t like the answers to.’

The moment he said the words he regretted them. It was the drink speaking and he knew it.

But he did honestly wish she wouldn’t keep asking questions he couldn’t answer. In fact, the only person who should answer them was Georgio, and he wasn’t saying anything!