‘They’ve just gone, and I’m on my way back. I’m going to call in at the police station on the way. Everything all right at your end?’ ‘That Grace woman rang; wants you to go to the cinema with her this afternoon. I made your apologies. Pat’s gone down with a sore throat again, so I told her to take the day off. Nothing much in the post, but young Daniel Collins has been on the phone twice. Says he’s recovered Mrs Belton’s laptop and wants to know where he can find her to give it back. Alternatively, should he come over and give it to you. I know he’s supposed to be on the side of the angels—’ ‘Possibly not as angelic as we’d thought.’ ‘Ah. Reason?’ ‘I’m not sure. Something to do with those masks. Oh, it’s probably nothing.’ ‘Well, we’d been so careful so far that I decided against giving him your address. I said you were up in town and returning by way of the police station and he got quite agitated. Said he must see you before you do anything silly.’ ‘He thinks it would be silly to go to the police?’ ‘That’s what he said.
