Stephen had the grace not to look at her. ‘I just thought I’d go out for a break, that’s all. I’ve always liked it round there. I was in Goa last year if you remember?’

Donna nodded, watching him warily. ‘Whereabouts are you going to?’

Stephen lifted his shoulders in a gesture of forgetfulness. ‘Can’t remember the name.’

Maeve turned from hanging up the clothes and said, ‘Hikkadoa, isn’t it? Something like that anyway. I heard you telling Mario about it the other day and the name stuck in me mind.’

Donna smiled. ‘Never heard of it. Sounds nice though.’

Stephen put down the coffee mug with a clatter. ‘I wonder if they’ve interviewed Georgio tonight?’ he said suddenly. ‘If they turned this place over, you can bet they’ve dragged him off to be interviewed. What on earth could they have been looking for? Any ideas, Donna?’

Maeve watched them look at each other and sighed inwardly at the open animosity on their faces.

‘No idea whatsoever. Do you really think they’ll be questioning my Georgio?’

Stephen nodded. ‘I’d lay money on it, love. They don’t do all this on a whim. They must have something pretty good to get the warrant for this lot. You want to be careful now, they might be watching you.’

‘Why would they watch me?’ Donna’s voice was on the defensive.

‘I don’t know. All I can think is that they must believe you’re involved, to do all this. You said yourself they’d already turned the house over when they arrested him the first time round. Why do it again now?’

Stephen enjoyed Donna’s worried expression. Pleased he had finally taken her mind off Sri Lanka, he turned towards his mother and kissed her on the cheek.

‘I’d better be off, girls, I have a long journey tomorrow.’

After he left the room Maeve said gently, ‘He’s me son, Donna, but I’m finding it increasingly hard to like him these days. He’s gotten a slimy feel to him, do you know what I mean?’

Donna nodded into Maeve’s strained face and said, ‘Funnily enough, I know exactly what you mean.’

Georgio was put back on the Wing just as breakfast was being served. He walked straight to Lewis’s cell and strode in without the usual knock. Donald Lewis was eating a bowl of thin porridge, the Guardian spread out over the table in front of him. Without looking up, he said, ‘Hello, Georgio, I’ve been expecting you.’

Georgio ripped the paper off the table and screwed it into a ball.

‘What the hell was all that about last night, Donald? Don’t pretend you know nothing about it because I have sussed you right out, mate. Fucking right out!’

Lewis laughed. His small even white teeth looked yellow in the light of the cell.