The vegan food had been somewhat of a revelation for Bailey. She hadn’t realised that meals without animal products could be this good, but at the same time she knew she was unlikely to ever become a strict vegan. She liked to keep her gastronomic options open.

She glanced around, scanning the other diners, trying to gauge if there might be anyone here with a potential connection to the Molloys who might question her presence with Dale. But then he was well aware of her situation and she was confident that he was smart and experienced enough to be able to come up with an on-the-fly explanation to back her up should this situation unexpectedly occur.

So far, though, things seemed to look fine. Just a load of other couples dotted around the tranquil interior of the restaurant, eating, drinking, chatting quietly. She turned her attention back to the table.

‘The food here’s very tasty,’ she remarked. ‘And this place is pretty classy. But surely there can’t be that many vegan places around, so it must kind of limit you.’

‘Not really. These days, most restaurants have at least a few vegan options. Anyhow, I always go online and check the menu before booking just to make sure.’

She took a mouthful of the delicious food and copped another admiring look at him, thinking once again just how handsome and stylish he was. Tonight he was decked out in a pastel blue linen Hilfiger shirt, which seemed to somehow enhance his healthy skin tone and lustrous blonde hair. Catching her glance, he reflected it back on her.

‘You look good by the way,’ he said. ‘Have you had a haircut?’

Bailey blushed, secretly delighted that he’d noticed.

‘I might have,’ she said with a coy smile. ‘Actually, I went to Wendy’s beauty salon. To see if I could pick up any useful information.’

‘And did you?’

She sighed and shrugged. ‘Well… she thinks that Rick is cheating on her. But beyond that, I didn’t pick up anything particularly useful. I kind of like her though. Although I’m not surprised that the Molloys keep her well away from their business ventures. She’s definitely what you’d call a sharer.’

‘Cheating on her, eh? Mmm…’ Dale rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘Do you think we could turn her? Use his infidelity as leverage to make her an informant?’

Bailey winced. ‘I don’t think so. Not at this stage. It would be too risky. I’d have to admit to her that I was a police officer. And if she didn’t bite, then we’d have to immediately end the operation, because she’d probably tell Rick.’ Bailey paused. ‘To be honest, much as I’ve warmed to her, I don’t think she has access to the kind of information we need. Like I said, they make sure not to tell her anything sensitive, precisely because she’s not all that discreet.’

‘Sounds like a wise decision on their part,’ said Dale with a smile. ‘Okay. Fair enough.’

Bailey took a moment to observe the other couples dining and conversing softly in the warm, intimate space of the restaurant.