She could see that his computer was on. He’d not locked it before he’d left, and she had a sudden idea.

She pulled out her mobile phone and dashed across to the desk. She could hear voices in the corridor outside. Everyone was discussing who the idiot was who’d left toast to burn in the upstairs kitchenette.

Using Andy’s mouse, Suzie found his Office applications, and then clicked the Calendar icon. The door half opened, her heart leapt, but she just had time to use her camera to photograph the screen before dropping to the floor like a marionette who’d suddenly had its strings cut.

Andy entered, and it was only then that Suzie realised how badly she’d messed up. She was on the floor, partially hidden by the desk, but she’d be discovered the moment he came to sit down. Worse still, her mind was completely blank as to what she could possibly say that would explain her position on the floor. She was about to be discovered hiding in an office having committed theft. She was going to prison!

As Andy headed over, the door banged open again.

‘Mr Bishop?’

It was Becks.

Andy turned back to look at who had entered his office.

‘Mrs Starling,’ he said, delighted.

‘I wondered if you could help me after all,’ Becks said, doing her best impression of a ‘little girl lost’. ‘You see, you were right, I’m here on a very personal matter. It’s life or death to me, but I don’t want my husband to see me visiting your office. Is there any chance you and I could go for a walk together?’

‘What’s that?’

‘I worry he’ll see me here. Could we go for a walk? Just you and me?’

‘Well,’ Andy said, pretending to consider the offer. ‘It’s not every day a pretty young woman asks me out for a stroll. I’d be glad to.’

‘At once,’ Becks added.

‘Oh. I see. And when you say at once …?’

‘I very much mean we need to go right now. Please.’

Peering from behind the desk, Suzie could see the look of innocent damsel-in-distress pleading on Becks’ face. Andy never stood a chance.

‘Of course. Lead on.’

With a grateful smile to Andy for being her knight in shining armour, Becks stepped to one side and caught Suzie’s eye as Andy left.