‘Of course.’

‘The train fare, as well – it all mounts up. Do you have a railcard?’

She laughed.

‘I don’t have a railcard. Do you have a railcard?’

‘No. I meant to get one, but…’

‘What?’

‘Sometimes you just don’t get round to things, do you?’

She put the camera away and looked at him.

‘Why are you here, Michael? You are not on holiday.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘You told me last night. You said you were doing some business, but… I did not like to ask about business. People tell me I am very… what’s the word?’

‘Nosy?’

‘Not nosy. Like a policeman – like asking questions, always.’

‘Inquisitive. Suspicious.’

‘Suspicious, yes! People say I am like a detective, always asking why and what and who. So I try and remember not to. What is your business?’

She laughed as she said it, putting a hand over her mouth.

‘You see?’ she cried. ‘A bad habit!’

‘I’m in the cleaning business,’ he said. ‘What about you?’

‘Oh, I work in a school, and I work also in a hospital. And I work in a restaurant.’

‘But there’s only one of you.’

‘Yes, but I am a superhero. Joking…’

She laughed.

‘You have three jobs?’ he said.

‘The school is in the day. The hospital is in the evening – it’s a hospice, not a hospital. The restaurant is just three times each week, early morning. That’s cleaning, also.’

‘And this is London?’

‘No. This is Scotland, near Dumfries.’

‘Dumfries? Why?’

‘You know Dumfries?’

‘No.’

‘I work through an agency, and they say, “We have a place for you in Scotland: Dumfries.” I say, “Thank you very much,” and I buy a ticket.’

‘Do you live alone?’

She looked at him.

‘I think you are the policeman now,’ she said.

‘I’m curious.’

‘I don’t live alone. I live with some Filipinos and some from Malaysia. We have a flat, out near the football stadium. You like football?’

‘No.’

‘So what do you like?’

‘Oh, walking. Talking.’

‘Good,’ she said. ‘Come on, then. We should be doing more of the first one – the walking, I think.’

‘Not the talking?’

‘No.’

She set off, and Michael fell into step behind her. The path went through weedy grass at first, but that soon thinned and they were obliged to walk in single file. The wind had risen, of course, and though it wasn’t strong enough to blow them over they needed to concentrate, just to keep their balance. There was no point trying to speak, so Michael pieced things together, shocked as usual by his own ignorance. His image of Maria as a student was idealised nonsense, for her working day must be twelve or fourteen hours, and she seemed so frail. He watched her back, and her careful, elegant movement forward, and noted the fact that it was just as he’d predicted: she was leading him.