She’d got used to the front page-she’d been booked for a photoshoot this afternoon just to show off her new haircut, for heaven’s sake-but this was different.

She’d announced to the world that she had the goods on Rupert Henshawe and it wouldn’t be just the gossip magazines who’d want to know where she was.

Within hours there would be a press-orchestrated manhunt. It was probably already underway. And there was the risk that any minute now someone was going to say Excuse me, but aren’t you, Lucy B?

It had happened before when she’d been shopping and the result tended to be mayhem. It was as if everyone wanted to touch her, capture a little of the magic.

Rupert’s marketing men had got that right, but it was the last thing she wanted now so she kept her head tucked well down, desperate not to catch anyone’s eye.

Not all eyes were over five feet from the ground, however, and she found herself being scrutinised by the little girl, who continued to stare at her as the recorded announcement said, ‘Going down… Sporting goods, gardening and recreation, electrical. And…’ there was a pause. ‘…The North Pole…’

The rest was drowned out by whoops of excitement.

‘Are you going to see Santa?’ the child asked her as the doors closed.

Santa?

Well, that explained why the North Pole had been relocated to a department store basement.

‘We’re going on a sleigh ride to see him at the North Pole,’ she confided.

‘Well, golly… What a treat.’

Right now a sleigh ride to the North Pole was exactly what she could do with. She’d planned to clean herself up, certain she’d be safe for a while in the Ladies. She didn’t know what had made her look back. Just a feeling, a prickle on the back of her neck…

The man following her hadn’t been a bodyguard. She knew them all and that wasn’t a face she would have forgotten.