It was a shame they had to settle for a single glass of wine each, but that was how things were in their job. Ralph smiled mischievously. ‘We’ll make up for it when we get some proper days off. I’ve got a bottle of red from Fortnum and Mason at home, just waiting to be shared. We’ll celebrate.’

‘Celebrate what?’ she asked.

‘Anything you like. Maybe the fact that I have a rich uncle who gives me wine from Fortnum and Mason. We’ll find something.’

Marie laughed. ‘Who needs an excuse anyway?’

Conscious of the prices, Marie chose a fairly basic main course, but Ralph put on a stern expression. ‘I’m not having that. This is a treat. Push the boat out and go for a starter too. I’m having one.’

It was inevitable that the conversation would turn to work. They were both police officers, so what else would they talk about? Time passed far too quickly. There was so much to learn about this man, and Marie wanted to know all of it, right now.

‘I could get used to this,’ she said as she sipped her coffee. ‘Taking time out, I mean, not spending a fortune in restaurants.’

‘Me too,’ said Ralph. ‘Er, I was wondering if I could tempt you to a meal at my place at the weekend? I’m not a bad cook, or so I’m told.’

Briefly, Marie hesitated. Was it too soon?

But she knew all too well that life was short. She smiled at him over her coffee cup. ‘I’ll be the judge of that, shall I? Nut cutlets, is it?’

‘You wait, Marie Evans! You’ll be surprised. You learn to become inventive when you remove meat from your diet.’

‘Then bring it on. Saturday evening?’

‘Come straight from work. Don’t change or anything, just come as you are, and we’ll have a relaxed evening.’

Marie smiled again. She’d been doing a lot of that this evening. She approved. It was nice to dress up occasionally, but equally nice to just be yourself. ‘Well, okay — if you can hack motorcycle leathers.’

‘No problem.’

When they were the only two people left in the restaurant, they decided they’d better leave. These few hours had been the most relaxing she had spent in a long, long time.

* * *

While Marie and Ralph sipped their glasses of wine, Gary Pritchard was seated in his favourite armchair, a glass of brandy and a cup of coffee at his side, chatting on the phone. Twenty minutes, he estimated, and not a single mention of crime, murder or persons unknown lurking in the shadows.