‘Smithy, hi, no. Come, join us.’ I didn’t think these two had met, so I did the introductions. ‘Detective Malcolm Smith, this is Detective Paul Frost, an old colleague from Gore.’ The men shook hands and I was amused to note they completed the usual caveman sizing-up exercise that went with these occasions.

‘You’re a long way from home, detective. What brings you to Dunedin?’ Smithy asked, rather formally.

‘Please, call me Paul. I’m up for a court case, fraud, so who knows how long it could take. Hopefully no longer than a week, so I don’t have to bug Sam here by hanging around her too much.’

‘I can see how that would be a trial.’ They shared a look, and Smithy almost smiled.

‘You’re familiar with her charms, then. Are you the poor unfortunate that has to babysit her and hold her hand?’

‘Paul,’ I interjected, ‘be nice, I don’t need to be babysat by anyone, thank you very much.’

‘I don’t know, I seem to recall you’re pretty good at getting yourself into trouble. I bet she’s done that up here too,’ he said to Smithy. ‘Has she gotten up everyone’s nose yet?’

‘Rubbish. And I don’t get up people’s noses.’

‘How do you explain that DI Johns guy, then? I seem to recall you were so far up his nose all people could see were your shoes sticking out of his nostrils.’

‘You are so full of crap, Paul Frost. I get on fine with DI Johns, thank you.’ A Pinocchio porky if ever there was one. ‘I think I’ve—’

‘Ahem,’ Smithy cleared his throat. ‘I think I’ll leave you two to it, then. You seem to have a bit to talk about. Nice to meet you, Paul.’ With that he picked up his glass, gave me an odd look I couldn’t quite interpret and disappeared into the crowd.

Paul was wearing a smug expression when I turned my attention back to him. ‘He fancies you,’ he said.

‘Who? Smithy?’

‘Who else? Of course Smithy. He likes you. He was jealous.’

‘Don’t be so bloody absurd. Who’d be jealous of you?’ I had to admit he had seemed a bit frosty towards Paul, which wasn’t like him at all. ‘Anyway, he’s happily married, and got kids.’

‘That doesn’t mean a thing. I tell you, you need to watch him. He’s got the hots for you.’