Vonny picked up the check and glanced at it. Val had forged Tony’s signature several times before and knew she could do it better than he did himself.

“My dad had a barbecue,” Vonny said. “Usual crowd.”

“Are you still seeing that insurance guy? What’s his name again?”

“Ian, yeah.” Her hand hovered over the stamp and Val willed her to pick it up. She shouldn’t really give cash except to the account holder, but she had done this for Val once before.

“He seemed nice,” Val said. “Very good-looking.” She continued, “Tony went off this morning without any clean socks for the week, even though I’d left them out specially. I pity the man sitting next to him at the conference.”

Vonny giggled and stamped the check. “How do you want it?” she asked.

“Tens and twenties,” Val said, waving her hand airily as if it was of no consequence.

As soon as she left the bank, she drove to the travel agent on Darling Street.

“Can you still get me on that sailing to China later today?” she asked, out of breath. “I’ve got cash.”

“Strewth! Talk about last-minute! I’ll call and check,” the agent said. “If not, I’ll ask when the next sailing is, shall I?”

The next sailing was no use to Val, and she hopped from foot to foot as the agent spoke on the phone. “Cash,” she heard her saying, and that seemed a good sign, then she began talking about the issuing of tickets.

“You’re in luck.” The woman smiled. “Come back in an hour and I’ll have the tickets printed for you. You have to get to the wharf at four, and it sails at five.”

Buzzing with a mixture of excitement and nerves—mostly nerves—Val drove to her flat and packed their clothes for the journey into a suitcase, then loaded the rest of their possessions into boxes and drove to Peggy’s with them, collecting the tickets on the way. She’d ask Peggy to pick up the furniture, then stick the keys through the mail slot. She hadn’t paid the rent for May and the landlord wouldn’t be best pleased, but at least she was leaving the place much cleaner than it had been when she arrived.

“So that’s what you were up to!” Peggy exclaimed. “You’re a dark horse. I’ll send Ken for the furniture after work and it will be waiting here for your return. Have a great trip!”