Her bus stopped just after the Old Chain Pier and she got off and looked at the pub in amazement. She’d heard the place had been gutted in a fire, not long after Pete had left the kitchens there for Glenisla, but the transformation was startling. The roof was new and there was a conservatory, all freshly painted. There were even tables and chairs outside on the pavement. What a different place from the ferry booking office it was in the nineteenth century, and from the dark dingy pub it had been before the fire.

She swung open the door and walked in. The room was brighter than she remembered, though the stale beery smell was much the same. She checked her watch. It was eleven o’clock, so there ought to be someone around.

She cleared her throat loudly and headed for the bar. The kitchen was at the back, but she didn’t like to just go in. She was about to cough again when a door opened.

A man in his early thirties appeared behind the bar, staring at Fiona. He put his tattooed arm up to his head and scratched under his white chef’s hat. ‘Christ, is that you, Fi?’

Fiona smiled and nodded. ‘Hi, Ross, how’ve you been?’

He came round the bar and threw his arms round her. ‘Where’s the hunk? He with you?’

Fiona drew herself away and looked at him straight in the eye. ‘That’s why I’m here. I tried to call but they kept saying you weren’t here so I thought I’d come down myself and try to find you.’

‘Been back home for a month, just got back at the weekend.’ He swallowed. ‘Mum died, I’d to sort stuff, funeral and things.’

‘I’m so sorry. Was she ill?’

‘Nope, car crash, all very sudden. Dad’s not coping too well, but I had to come back, got to get on with things now.’

‘That’s awful, I’m really sorry.’ Fiona looked up at him, at his earring glimmering under the light above her head. ‘Where was home for you, was it Sydney?’

Ross shook his head. ‘Noosa, up the coast.’

‘Of course, Pete said how beautiful it is up there.’

He ushered her to a seat. ‘Coffee?’

‘You got time?’

‘Sure, won’t be any lunch customers till twelve. Debs’ll be in soon for the bar.’ He went over to the coffee machine and started to fill the metal filter basket.

‘You’ve not heard then?’

He slid the filter into position and looked round. ‘What?’

‘Pete left, did a runner, just disappeared. No idea where, took all our savings and…’ Fiona felt tears start to fill her eyes. ‘Sorry,’ she said, taking a deep breath.

Ross’s mouth was open as he stared, incredulous, at Fiona. ‘What?’

She nodded, and then continued to tell him about the day, six weeks before, when Pete had upped and left.