Roscoe held up the envelope. ‘I’m just the delivery man,’ he said mildly.

Jimmy flung him a speaking look and limped away. Roscoe waited until he was out of sight before saying, ‘I’m sorry to arrive unexpectedly, but you left this in my car.’

She made as if to take the envelope that he held out, but snatched her hand back as the robe fell open.

‘I’ll take it inside,’ he said, moving past her.

She followed him, slamming the front door, hurrying into the bedroom and slamming that door too. Roscoe wondered at her agitation. After all, she’d been the victor, conquering and subduing her foe. He would have given a good deal to know the history behind that scene.

The apartment was what he would have expected, lush and decorative in a way he thought of as ultra-feminine. The furniture was expensive and tastefully chosen and the shelves bore ornaments that suggested a knowledge of antiques.

In one corner of the room was a desk with a computer and various accessories, all of which were the very latest, he noted with approval. It seemed to tell a different story to the rest of her. Ditzy dolly-bird on the one hand, technology expert on the other.

But probably the computer had been installed by her employers. That explained it.

She came whizzing back into the room, dressed in sweater and jeans. They were sturdy and workaday, unglamorous except that they answered all questions about her figure.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked.

‘Certainly I’m all right. Why shouldn’t I be?’ She sounded a tad defiant.

‘Just that he seemed rather overwrought-’

‘And he called me Jezebel, implying that I’m a floozie, that’s what you meant.’

‘That’s not what I meant at all.’

Even to herself, Pippa couldn’t have explained why she was on edge, except that she liked to stay in control, and being discovered as she had been was definitely not being in control.