She sat and waited for his return, her mind racing. What was this all about? Did James know the man by the door, or was it just coincidence that they went out at almost the same time? It was clear that if James wanted to smoke he had no need to go outside. The whole place smelled like an ashtray.

A horrible thought then came to her. What if James just drove off in his car and left her here? Why would he do that, though? But no matter how much she tried to suppress that idea, she still felt anxious.

James had been gone about three minutes. Should she follow him out to see if he was round the back, smoking? Some half-formed warning in her mind told her not to do this: there were too many unanswered questions about this whole evening, and if James wanted her to know he would have told her right out at the beginning. So it was a secret …

With a glance at the back door just to make sure he wasn’t returning right then, Gina got up and quickly went out through the front door. The car was still parked by the roadside. At least that laid to rest one of her fears.

She walked to the corner of the building and peered round to see if anyone was there. There was no one. Then she stole up the side and looked round the back corner. James and the other man were standing facing each other, talking and smoking. The man was holding the canvas bag now and he reached inside his jacket, pulled out something and gave it to James. Gina couldn’t see what it was. Nor was she near enough to make out anything they were saying. Some of her questions had been answered, but many more had been raised. She rushed back the way she had come and was just settling at the table when James re-entered alone.

‘All right, Gina?’ he asked.

‘Fine,’ she smiled.

‘Shall we go?’

‘Aren’t you going to finish your beer?’

‘No, I reckon this isn’t much of a place after all.’

I could have told you that the minute you opened the door. As if I believe a word of that story of a recommendation …

‘All right, then. Let’s go.’

They went out, got back into the car, and James drove off the way they had come. They were about halfway back to Grindle Hall when he spotted a pretty inn with lanterns lit outside. It looked cosy and welcoming.

‘Must have missed this one on the way past earlier,’ he said.

‘But you told me some friend of yours recommended the Duke of Clarence,’ Gina pointed out innocently. ‘Wasn’t that why we went all that way?’ She looked at him for a reaction at being found out lying, but he just chuckled and shrugged.