Alcohol loosened her tongue and Laure heard herself confessing, ‘When you’ve experienced something so… blazing… it’s difficult afterwards, perhaps impossible, to settle. Or, for me, it was. Anyway, I didn’t trust myself any more. I was married for a time, you know. And it didn’t work for me. I regret that and what I failed to bring to it. But, with luck, you can find a substitute.’ She spread her hands. ‘And I did.’

May nodded and then asked: ‘It’s curious that you have never really pushed to find out what happened to them all. Why?’

‘I did.’

May was sceptical. ‘Especially now. There’re so many ways to trace events, people, the truth. As your mystery sponsor obviously did. Perhaps…’ she looked down at her empty glass. ‘You didn’t want to? Not really.’

Laure had no answer.

CHAPTER 24

Prague, 1986

LAURE PEERED OUT OF THE WINDOW THAT LOOKED DOWN into the courtyard of the Kobes’ apartment.

A figure with brown hair and wearing a striped waistcoat loitered under it. Laure undid the catch and leaned out. ‘Have you been throwing stones?’

Tomas grinned up at her. ‘Whenever do I not?’

With her heart in her mouth, she smiled back. ‘You think you’re Romeo.’

He shaded his eyes. ‘I do, and you’re my beautiful Juliet and I’ve come to take you away from the house of discord.’

Laure glanced back over her shoulder. It was Saturday and Petr had taken the children out to an aunt who lived outside Prague and wouldn’t be back until the evening. Eva had briefly emerged from her room earlier in the day but had returned to it and shut the door. ‘Give me five minutes.’

When she emerged from the entrance, Tomas snatched at her hand. ‘Today is a day to forget everything. Except us. But you’ll have to hurry up.’

‘How did you know I would be free?’

‘I felt it,’ he said with utmost seriousness and she burst out laughing.

Parked up in the courtyard were two bicycles in, more or less, reasonable condition. ‘You can ride a bike?’ Tomas was suddenly doubting and she laughed, too, at his expression. ‘I thought we could cycle along the river and eat at a place I know outside the city.’

Tomas led them down to the tow path – Laure more unsteady than she cared to admit – and they headed south out of the city. Before long, the houses which flanked it had narrowed to a ribbon. As they skidded over the dry ripples, the bicycle wheels sent up plumes of dust and, having got her balance in, Laure picked up speed to match Tomas.