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room, flinging down a newspaper on to the coffee table in front of the sofa where Evangeline was lounging. ‘Just look at that!’
    â€˜Oh?’ Evangeline looked at the copy of the Argus he had hurled on to the table. ‘Have you been down to Brighton again?’
    â€˜No – and I’m not going again! Will you look at that!’
    She wouldn’t. Evangeline had gone into one of her maddening moods. ‘I don’t understand. What are you doing with the Brighton paper then? Did someone leave it in your cab?’
    â€˜I bought it at London Bridge station.’ Eddie took a deep breath and forestalled her next question. ‘You can buy it at Victoria station late afternoons, too. Same as you can buy the out-of-town newspapers at any station where you catch the train to that place. Commuters like it that way They can read the local paper on their way ’ome and be up to speed on what’s ‘appening in their town by the time they get there.’
    â€˜If they like their town that much, why don’t they stay in it?’
    â€˜Because the best-paying jobs are in London! Now will you – ?’
    â€˜Oh, no!’ While they were bickering, I had taken possession of the paper. No wonder Eddie was so upset. There it
was – in front page headlines: MAN DEAD IN ARSON ATTACK. POLICE SEARCH FOR SUSPECTS SEEN FLEEING BLAZE.
    â€˜What is it?’ Now that I had the paper, Evangeline wanted it. She wrenched it away from me, leaving me with a strip of white margin and a few fragmented bits of print.
    â€˜Someone must have seen us!’ How could we have imagined otherwise? That narrow cul-de-sac, with all the ramshackle eighteenth-century houses leaning together higgledy-piggledy and doubtless crammed with low-rent tenants, either retired or unemployed, with plenty of time on their hands to mind everybody else’s business. The first hint of smoke drifting through the cracks of those tinderbox dwellings would have brought anxious faces to windows, checking that the danger was outside and not within.
    â€˜Good job no one recognized you. Unless …’ Eddie’s brow furrowed. ‘Unless they did recognize you and the cops are keeping it up their sleeves so you can be identified when you’re caught.’
    â€˜You were there, too!’ All those yous were clearly getting on Evangeline’s nerves.
    â€˜That’s why I’m not going back there again. And, if you’re smart, you won’t, either.’
    â€˜We’ve promised Cecile we’ll attend the opening.’ Evangeline drew herself up proudly, quite as though she had never broken a promise in her life. ‘We can’t let her down.’
    And I could do with less of the we stuff. I’d never met Dame Cecile before in my life – not until Evangeline introduced her to me a few months ago. She was Evangeline’s old friend.
    â€˜I don’t know,’ I said. ‘Eddie has a point.’
    â€˜Too bloody right, I ’ave!’ At his feet, Cho-Cho-San gave a friendly chirrup and rubbed against his ankles. He looked down and his expression softened. ‘They’re nasty people down there. Look what they tried to do to Little Sweet’eart, ’ere.’ She nuzzled him contentedly as he picked
her up and cuddled her in his arms. ‘You want to stay away from bleeders like that!’
    Score another point for Eddie. A point I hadn’t forgotten. I hadn’t decided what I could do about the situation, but I did know that I was reluctant to take her back to Brighton where she might be in danger again.
    â€˜Out of the question!’ Evangeline set her jaw stubbornly. ‘We’re going. And, if you’re not willing to take us, we’ll hire another cab!’
    â€˜â€™Ere now, you needn’t be like that!’ Eddie hated to miss anything. ‘Let me ’ave a think and maybe we can sort something out. I’ve got a cousin