‘Did he stay on the island?’
Jack laughed. ‘Not likely,’ he said as if Stefan was stupid. ‘Bit close to France. Bit close to you lot. Turns out he was right. Here you all are.’
‘I looked at the lists of boats coming and going,’ Stefan said, ignoring him.
‘Why?’ Persey interjected.
‘It’s my job,’ Stefan explained.
‘I thought you were a translator?’ she said.
‘Among other things,’ he said kindly.
‘What other things?’ Persey demanded.
‘Other things,’ Stefan said, laying his knife and fork down. ‘I have been looking at the harbour, the comings and goings of the fishing vessels, incoming and outgoing passenger lists from before the Occupation began and I do not see a boat delivering Jack. I do not see any name or Jack’s name actually.’
‘Why?’ Persey demanded again.
She still couldn’t tell which way his loyalties lay, especially when he probed so deeply about Jack.
‘That is what I am attempting to find out,’ Stefan said with a hint of irritation in his voice.
Dido tried to calm the waters. ‘I think she means, why are you enquiring?’
Persey spoke again. ‘And if you reply with it’s my job again, I swear …’
Stefan laughed. ‘What is the problem?’
‘There’s no problem,’ Persey said with a small laugh that sounded utterly false. ‘I just want to know, why you want to know.’
Stefan was silent and looked at her for what Persey consideredto be far too long. She was angry with herself that she was the first to look away.
‘You are not registered anywhere,’ he said to Jack.
‘What does that mean?’ Jack asked warily.
‘You have a bad heart, but there is no new note of this at the hospital. You have not been to see a doctor to report this, to pass on the medical diagnosis of the doctor who saw you in England?’
‘No,’ Jack said. ‘I haven’t.’
‘Hmm,’ Stefan said.
‘Shall I put some music on?’ Dido asked, rising, but she was ignored.
‘And your friend came all this way and then just returned, without notifying the harbourmaster? Without disembarking his boat? That seems very—’
But Jack had had enough. ‘You’ve not changed, Stefan. You used to be just like this. You love a rule, don’t you? It’s boring. But in the last ten years since I had the misfortune to see you, that stick has just got even further up your—’
‘Jack!’ Persey cried.
‘Sorry,’ Jack said, standing. ‘Ladies present. Excuse me.’ He stalked from the room.
An uncomfortable silence descended.
‘What’s wrong?’ Dido asked Stefan as she slowly sat down again.
Stefan looked at Dido kindly and then directed his gaze at Persey. ‘I do not like being lied to.’
