Tim laughed. He had a sexy laugh, sort of throaty and gravelly. ‘We catch the next one, my friend.’

Angus flinched, but Tim seemed not to notice, or if he did he didn’t care.

‘Realistically a new, gimmicky restaurant has a two-year life. Once that’s over, it’s rebranded, overhauled, renewed. And off we go again.’

‘With more costs,’ Angus said.

That’s when Cora finally chipped in. ‘Vision, passion, the willingness to take a risk plus investment, is what makes a man wealthy. Plodding along keeps him comfortable, but dead inside.’

‘Hear hear,’ Taisie’s dad said. ‘Well said, Mrs Ritchie.’

Was he flirting with Nick’s mum? That was gross. She glanced up and realized that Tim was watching her. He gave her the subtlest smile; a twitch of his lips really – barely even that – but it felt like a secret had passed between them.

GRACE

Monday, 16 April 2018

I DEFER RINGING NICK’S PARENTS FOR AS LONG AS I CAN. I tidy round with little enthusiasm and minimal energy and have something to eat. Eventually, I run out of excuses and begin to feel guilty. No matter what Cora thinks of my relationship with her son, she is his mother. I’d prefer to speak to Tim, because he’s easier to talk to, but it’s Cora who answers the phone, gushing into the mouthpiece.

‘Grace dear, how are you?’

The question throws me. ‘I’m fine. I … Have you spoken to Nick recently?’

‘I spoke to him last week. Why?’

I swallow. ‘What did you talk about?’

‘This and that.’ She tuts. ‘Is everything all right, Grace? You sound odd.’

‘Sorry. Sorry, it’s just …’ I pause. I can hear her breathing. I walk out of the kitchen, hoping against all logic that he’ll suddenly appear and I won’t have to have this conversation. ‘There’s no easy way of saying this, but Nick went out on Saturday evening and didn’t come home. I wondered whether you had heard from him, or even if he had turned up on your doorstep. I mean, obviously he hasn’t.’

Her pause is almost as prolonged as mine was. ‘When you say went out, do you mean he walked out on you? Have you had a row?’

‘No, nothing like that. Everything is fine. He went out for a walk.’

‘He goes for evening walks without you?’ She makes it sound disreputable.

‘Not every evening,’ I say. ‘But that’s not the point, Cora. I don’t know where he is and I’m worried.’

‘Have you tried phoning him?’ She can’t quite hide her patronizing tone.

‘Yes, over and over. His phone goes straight to voicemail. Are you sure he didn’t say anything unusual?’

‘As far as I remember, he was his usual self. Did he have the dog with him?’