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whatever it was. Ginny was up to her neck in something truly awful and the very idea of telling anyone about it – even Della – filled her with horror. In fact, it made the whole thing seem even worse and more dangerous than it had seemed at the time. Even if Dover Richards wasn't a policeman, it wouldn't be long before the real police were involved and then Ginny might wish she hadn't been blabbing to Della about it all.
    “Well?” Della asked, giving Ginny a start.
    She tried to act nonchalant. “Well nothing really. It was all a big anticlimax. I went round to the address and nobody was there. I just left the package and went home.”
    “You just left it? A box full of heroin or whatever? Where did you leave it?”
    Ginny hadn't expected to be grilled on the subject. “I don't know. On the doorstep. I'm sure he'll find it.”
    “The doorstep? When was the last time you saw your own doorstep? Well, yesterday, obviously, but normal people aren't always popping out to meet crime bosses. I don't think I've seen my doorstep for days, not since the weekly shopping was delivered. That package is probably still sitting out there. Anybody could find it. Some kids could pick it up and kill themselves. Ginny, what were you thinking of?”
    “ It'll be all right, really. I'm sure he's got it.” Oh for God's sake.
    “ How can you be sure? That stuff might be dangerous, really dangerous. What if it's explosives or something? Or a biological weapon? What if Gavin's a terrorist?” Della put her hand to her mouth. “I hadn't thought of that. What if he is, Ginny? What if there's something really horrible in that package? We should probably go to the police. There might be some kid running around right now with a bioweapon in his pocket. We have to – ”
    “ It was only data cubes.” Ginny didn't know what else to do except tell the truth to shut Della up. Her friend stopped with her mouth open and stared, waiting for more. “I took a peek before I left it. I just wanted to be sure it was OK.”
    “ Data cubes?”
    “ Data cubes.”
    “ Did you look at what was on them?”
    “ No.” She raised a hand to stop Della going off again. “And I don't care what's on them. In fact, I don't want to know. It could be stolen commercial secrets, or even military secrets for all I care. I'm just glad to be rid of it.”
    Della regarded her with her head cocked. “This isn't like you, Ginny. Don't you worry about what's going on? Don't you care who might get hurt? What if it's kiddie porn and the police could have used those cubes to crack an international paedophile ring or something?”
    Ginny pushed back her hair with an exhausted sigh. “I thought I'd just get it off my chest that the package was gone and this whole stupid affair is over and finished. Can you just leave it alone, now? I'm sick to death of it. I haven't done a stroke of work for the past two days and my legs ache from all that cycling, and I'd just like to put it all behind me and get on with my life. So, can we please drop it now?”
    “ Cycling?”
    “ It's a long story.”
    Della looked unhappy. “What are you not telling me, Ginny?”
    “Nothing. Can we change the subject now?”
    “ I still don't like – ”
    Ginny raised her voice. “I'll go back there and make sure he got the package, OK? I'll go back and face this dangerous criminal and ask him if he got the package. Just so that you don't have to worry, all right? Will that satisfy you?”
    Della drew back, looking hurt. “You don't have to be like that. It's your mess. I was just trying to help. Leave your kiddie porn out in the open for anybody to find, or let your dangerous criminal friends sell it. It's all the same to me. I can see you're completely on top of the situation and you don't need my advice.” She got up and tossed some notes on the table – metaphorically paying for the coffee. “I've got to be going. Big presentation. Catch you later.”
    Ginny watched her leave, wanting