"What did the doctor say?"

"Much the same as me; she said she couldn't be sure, but that it looked like a cerebral incident, rare but not unknown in a guy of that age.

They'll know for certain once they've done an autopsy."

"When's that going to happen?"

"I don't know. Today, I guess."

"Where's the girl now? Did you take her back to your place?"

"Did I hell as like! She phoned her mother and told her what had happened; the police took her there."

"Mmm," Susie murmured. "I thought you'd have bSen there with a consoling shoulder."

"She's better at her mother's. Besides

"Besides what?"

"Nothing. How's the baby?"

"She kept me awake half the night, but other than that she's perfect.

Ethel's here now."

"Ethel?"

"Ethel Reid, the new nanny; she arrived at nine sharp, and she's taken over already."

"Ah, but can she breastfeed?"

"I shouldn't think so; she's about fifty. But we're going to get Janet on to the bottle quite soon."

"Have you thought that through?"

"Absolutely. I'm going back to work, remember. I'm a builder, Oz; that's what I do, it's the world I live in, and I am not, repeat not, whipping out a tit halfway through a meeting with my site managers."

"No," I conceded. "I can see that might distract them. You might have houses being built in inches rather than centimetres."

"Was than an oblique reference to the size of my bosom?"

"Not so oblique; they're pretty spectacular just now, you have to admit."

"Enjoy while you can."

I paused. "If that's an invitation, I thought I might come through tonight."

"Why?"

"I have to see Greg McPhillips, about the divorce arrangements, so I thought I'd fit it in this afternoon." I paused. "Also .. . am I allowed to say I'm missing you?"

"You are .. . since I feel a bit that way myself."

"See you later then."

"Okay. You can take me out to dinner; I've got a sudden urge to get dolled up in normal-sized clothes. I haven't been able to do that for months."

I hung up, swung myself out of bed and lurched into the shower. Half an hour later, after finishing off the Lome sausage and the last couple of rolls, I began to feel human again.

I was looking out over the city, getting ready to go to the Edinburgh Club, when the phone rang once more. It was Alison; she sounded sad, but together. "I want to thank you for last night," she said. "If I had gone in there on my own .. ."

"It's okay. You don't have to thank me."

"You surprised me, you know," she murmured. "The way you handled it.

There's more to you than I ever realised."

I didn't tell her, but I've seen things that were a hell of a lot more grisly than her late fiance. For some reason, I found myself thinking of a man called Ramon Fortunate.

"I suppose losing your wife must have had an effect on you. I understand that now, being in the same boat myself."

I felt my forehead bunch into a savage frown. Brain first, mouth second, Blackstone, I tried to tell myself, but I was too late. "What?"

I said; actually it was more of a snarl. "Was David pregnant too?

"You're not even on the same fucking ocean as me, never mind in the same boat. You were ready to screw me last night, remember. If I'd said the word we'd have been at my place, not his."

"Don't, Oz," she pleaded, and the wail in her voice got to me at once.

"I've been torturing myself about that all night."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. That was brutal of me, but I still can't talk about that. I never will."

"I understand. That's all; I understand."

"Yeah. Truce."

"Good." She paused. "About that thing we discussed last night?"

She was back to business already; she took my breath away. "Torrent?"

"Yes. Will you still do what you said?"

"Of course I will. Ewan might feel a bit guilty now. He'll probably be a soft touch."

"Maybe we should forget him and just go with Miles Grayson. You're right; Mr. Torrent would love that."

"No," I told her. "Miles is fall-back. You stick with Ewan Capperauld, if you can get him."

"All right. When'll you do it?"

"This week, I hope. I expect to meet him on Thursday. I'll call you at your office when I've got something to tell you. I take it you'll be going to work regardless?"