When she’d said he was too young for her, he thought that was it. She was used to older, more worldly, experienced men. He’d made her laugh then, and when she did, he knew she was reconsidering.

So they’d meet for drinks on Friday.

And maybe dinner on Saturday.

And maybe on their third date, they’d end up in her bed.

A frown appeared between Flynn’s brown eyes. It might turn out to be the relationship he’d always been looking for.

Did it really matter that he’d lied?

4

Victor Hill had been watching Jodie Armstrong for years, long before she’d moved back to the UK. He’d known from his mother that she’d trained to be a nurse and when he was released from prison, he set about finding her. He tried to find her through the nursing register but to no avail. Prison, however, had taught him patience. He went to Hampstead, to the house where Jodie had grown up. Once there, he reached into his pocket for the container of chilli pepper, dipped a finger into it, rubbed his eyes and with tear-filled reddened eyes, rang the doorbell.

It was answered almost immediately, by a middle-aged woman whose face creased with concern to see a crying man on her doorstep. ‘Goodness, are you all right?’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Victor said, pulling a white cotton handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing his eyes. ‘Memories, you know, they can be so traumatic.’ He waited to let that sink in. ‘My mother passed away recently. You might remember her.’ He plucked a name out of the air. ‘Sally Winters. She lived the next road down. A tiny woman with a big heart. Everyone knew her.’

The woman hesitated before obviously deciding it was better to lie than upset the crying man further. ‘Sally… yes, yes, I think I remember her. I’m so sorry for your loss.’

‘Thank you. I’m just doing a last walk around the neighbourhood before I head home to Edinburgh.’ He stood back and looked up at the house. ‘I have such happy memories of this house. Laurie Armstrong, who lived here some years ago was my mum’s dear friend. Mum was very fond of her daughter, Jodie, too. In fact, I was trying to contact her to let her know that Mum had died but I couldn’t find an address among her things. It’s sad, Jodie will be gutted not to know.’

As he’d hoped, the woman was only too willing to assist, and as he’d expected, the neighbours still gossiped.

The woman’s worried expression lightened. ‘Jodie? One of the neighbour’s daughters stays in touch with her. She’s still nursing, but in Dubai.’

‘Dubai!’ He’d pasted on a smile. ‘What an exciting place.’