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dark blue overcoat with its collar turned up. It was only when he stepped across the threshold and Toby saw the light grey eyes and the mouth with its thin top lip that he realised who it was.
    'What the hell are you doing here at Christmas time? Don't you ever enjoy yourself?'
    'I leave that to you. You've got a girl here.' His voice was flat. 'True!'
    'Lisa Greene.' 'It might be.' 'It is.'
    'All right then, yes, it is. What's the matter? Fancy her yourself, do you? Well, I'm sorry, you'll have to wait your turn. She's mine right now. Completely mine, understand?'
    'What a pity,' said the man slowly. 'You really ought to have checked first.'
    'Checked out a date with you? You seem to forget who I am. I've got women hurling themselves at me all the time these days. T.V. has tremendous power. Surely you don't want me ringing you up every time I bring some over-excited groupie home?'
    'Was Lisa Greene an over-excited groupie?' This time there was amusement in the voice.
    Toby considered lying but there was something about this visitor that discouraged lying. 'Actually, no.'
    'Quite.'
    'Just the same, all's fair in love and war, and if it was her cherry you were after you're too late. Never mind, you can have her when I'm through. How's that for generosity?'
    The visitor smiled. He actually smiled and Toby, despite his height advantage, instinctively took a step back. 'Your offer doesn't interest me. I'm not after her. I never have been after her. Surely you don’t imagine she’s my type.'
    'Then who… ?'
    'She was intended for Mr Gueras. Perhaps you'd care to call him and offer him your leavings? I could give you his holiday number if you like.'
    Toby felt himself turning white. 'I didn't know!' he protested. 'How was I expected to know that? She isn't connected with him. Her family don't even move in the same circles.'
    'You don't have to justify yourself to me, Walker. If I were you I'd make the most of her, and I'd be very careful to keep her happy too. For as long as you're allowed to keep her, that is. Goodnight, and a happy New Year!'
    Toby slammed the door shut in fury. How he hated that man! He never brought anything but bad news. Bishop was a creep, and a psychopathic creep at that. But if what he'd said was true then it didn't bear thinking about, and so—as with everything else that didn't bear thinking about—Toby pushed it to the back of his mind. It had been a joke, he decided. Bishop's idea of a bit of Christmas fun. Well, it wasn't going to work. Lisa was still upstairs waiting for him, and this time he'd make sure she didn't have anything to complain about. As for Bishop, he could go to hell.
    Almost dragging Lisa from the shower he proceeded to make love to her for the next two hours until she'd come to one screaming climax after another, and only when she was ready to fall asleep from exhaustion did he finally allow himself to come for the second time, and after that they fell asleep wrapped round each other. They made love once more after they woke and then Toby took her home. By that time, Bishop's warped sense of humour was completely forgotten.
    On the morning of Wednesday 27th December, Lisa was woken by the sound of Stephanie crying. Not crying in her usual manner with temper or exasperation, but sobbing without restraint. Amazed, Lisa put on a robe and went out on to the upper landing.
    The sobbing was louder now, but still coming from a considerable distance. She glanced down the well of the stairway. At the bottom, standing on the new green wool carpet that just failed to match the green fleck of the wallpaper she could see both Simon and Stephanie. They were not alone.
    Her throat felt suddenly tight, as though some tension had made its way up the stairs and was closing in round her. Silently, her feet still bare, she crept down the first flight and crouched on the lower landing. By peeping through the banister rail she could just catch a glimpse of the visitor.
    There was no obvious reason to