‘Or jealous,’ Breslin offers. ‘Maybe the friend’s a hound, can’t get a fella of her own; she gets her knickers in a knot and decides to spin some little thing to try and put Aislinn off you. What could she have spun?’

Rory passes a hand over his eyes and tries to think. He’s abandoned his Oreo untouched; he’s figured out that we’re not playing that game any more. Me and Breslin are still all smiles, but the air in the room’s changed; the pulse is faster and harder and it’s Breslin setting it now, not Rory.

‘The only thing I can think of . . .’ We wait encouragingly. ‘I told you last time: it was complicated, setting up dates with Aislinn. But I kept trying, even when she cancelled. I suppose that could have come across as . . . I don’t know. Pushy? I mean, I know Aislinn didn’t think I was being too pushy, or she would have ended it, but maybe one of her friends might have—’

‘Whoa,’ Breslin says. ‘Slow down. You just said you kept pushing Aislinn for dates, even when she cancelled; but then you’re telling us, if she’d told you to get lost, you would’ve gone. Which is it?’

‘But— No. That’s not the same thing. She never said she didn’t want to see me any more. If she had, then of course I would have gone. Saying “I’m busy on Thursday” isn’t the same, it’s completely—’

Rory’s winding himself into a tangle of indignation and defensiveness. ‘Hey, you don’t need to convince us,’ I say. ‘The mate’s the one who was worried. We’re just trying to work out why.’

‘That’s the only thing I can think of. That’s it.’

Breslin gets up from the table and goes for a stroll, giving Rory two places to look. He says, ‘Sounds a bit thin to me.’

‘And me,’ I say. ‘The friend’s not the hysterical type, you know what I mean? If she thought Aislinn needed to be careful, she had a reason.’

‘Maybe . . .’ Rory clears his throat. ‘Um, if I’m right, about the guy watching Aislinn . . . Maybe Aislinn had noticed him, and mentioned him to her friend? And the friend was worried that he’d get angry about her having me over?’

Breslin stops and gives Rory a long quizzical gaze – Rory holds it, in a blinky way. He says, ‘Did Aislinn ever mention an ex who gave her the willies?’

Rory shakes his head.

‘Out loud for the tape.’

‘No. She didn’t.’

‘Most women aren’t gonna bring up the ex to the new boyfriend,’ I point out. ‘Makes you sound like a bunny-boiler.’

Breslin shrugs. ‘Fair enough, I guess. She ever mention having a stalker?’

The word makes Rory wince. ‘No.’

‘Not once?’

‘No. But she might not have wanted to – I don’t know, scare me off—’