He was old, and he looked experienced. He looked kind, too – and she knew she was about to burst into tears.

‘Very valuable,’ she said. ‘Very, very valuable.’

Her mouth was dry. She was feeling dizzy. Somehow, she described the bag and listed its contents, and – as she did so – the tears started and she had to stop talking.

‘Let’s get you sat down,’ said the man gently. ‘Let’s go somewhere a little bit quieter, okay? Give me your rucksack.’

He eased it off her shoulder, and took her arm.

‘You’ll be fine,’ he said. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Maria.’

‘Maria. I’m going to take you to the help-desk, Maria, and we’ll see what we can do for you.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ said Maria.

‘We all lose things – there’s nothing to be sorry about. You were in a hurry, were you?’

‘I was on the wrong train. Yes.’

He was holding a door open for her.

‘You go first. You left it on the table, or the seat?’

They entered a waiting area, where twenty chairs stood bolted together in two strict, back-to-back rows. The desk was at the far end – a raised counter, with a computer and a rack of leaflets.

‘Were there other passengers, sitting with you?’

She nodded. ‘It was crowded. Yes.’

‘In that case, it might have been found already. Your phone’s in the bag, yes?’

‘Yes.’

‘Could we try calling it? Or is it locked?’

‘I don’t understand, sorry.’

‘Do you need a code for the phone, to unlock it? Or could somebody just pick up, if we called the number?’

‘I think someone could pick up. I’m sure they could, yes.’

‘Shall we try that first?’

‘How?’

The man smiled.

‘You sit down,’ he said. ‘You can use mine.’

Maria nodded and sat down. The next moment, his phone was in her hands and she saw the panel of digits. For a moment she had no idea of her own number: she had to close her eyes to think. It came back to her and she tapped it in. She misdialled, and had to start again. Her hands were actually trembling, and in the end he did it for her, taking her instructions. They heard a soft bleeping as a satellite somewhere received the transmission, bouncing the signal back towards a train that was miles away, hurtling south. The connection was made, and there was silence. Silence, so she put it close to her ear and there was a faint, hesitant ringing. She bent forwards slightly.

‘Please, God,’ she said quietly. ‘Please help me now. I will do anything.’

12

Michael poured another drink, then tipped it back into the carton.