at the very most,’ he said frankly. ‘But when I saw two lads to one girl I thought I’d better wade in. But I was superfluous. You’d sorted them before I could even get out of the car.’
‘No big deal with a pair of kids. I’m a head taller than either of them, for a start.’ She shrugged. ‘It was just reflex. I lashed out at them in sheer temper.’
‘Which could have been dangerous with a couple of real criminals,’ he pointed out. ‘Lucky for you it was a pair of kids behind those masks.’
‘Which is why I laid into them,’ she said curtly, then frowned. ‘How old do you think Robbie is?’
‘Hard to say. Old enough to know better, certainly. Where do you live? Can I drive you there?’
‘No need. I’m just down the road from my adventure, in Farthing Street. Once we reach your car I’ll be fine,’ she added. ‘No need for you to come any further.’
But Joe insisted on seeing her right to the door of her small, end-of-terrace house. ‘Will there be anyone there?’
‘No.’
‘In that case I’ll see you safely inside before I go on my way.’
About to refuse, Fen changed her mind. A little company right this minute wasn’t a bad idea. Now that the episode was over she felt a bit shaky. She went round the house to the back, unlocked a door, and switched on the light in a small, bare kitchen. Then she turned to get a look at her companion, who returned the scrutiny with equal curiosity as he closed the door behind him.
Joe Tregenna was a few inches taller than her own five feet ten, slim-hipped and broad-shouldered. He wore his dishevelled brown hair long enough to curl slightly at the ends, and his eyes were a dark enough blue to look black at first glance. Like his mouth, they held a hint of humour rather at odds with the uncompromising cut of nose and chin. He wore a formal white shirt with a tie loosened at the open collar, and linen trousers that looked like part of a suit.
‘I need coffee,’ she said abruptly, aware she was staring, and thrust back hair even more dishevelled than his. ‘How about you?’
‘Please.’ He smiled. ‘I could do with some caffeine after the encounter with Pennington’s junior underworld.’
‘Take a seat. I won’t be long.’ Fen dumped her backpack, shrugged off her denim jacket and slung it on the back of a chair, then filled the kettle and plugged it in. She took mugs from a cupboard and milk from the refrigerator, aware all the time that Joe Tregenna’s eyes were following her every move. Not that she minded. After charging to her rescue like Sir Galahad he was entitled to a good look at the maiden in distress.
She made coffee, set the mugs on the table, and sat down opposite her visitor, who chuckled suddenly.
‘What’s the joke?’ she asked.
‘I know where you live! I can’t believe I actually said that to the little tyke.’ He grinned at her. ‘Though you weren’t far behind, with your talk of deals and DNA.’
‘The idea was to frighten him in terms from his beloved “telly”. He obviously likes cop shows. So between us let’s hope we’ve diverted our Robbie from a life of crime.’ Fen shrugged. ‘No way could I have handed him over to the police.’
He looked at her thoughtfully as he drank some coffee. ‘Do you make a habit of walking home alone late at night?’
‘Asking for trouble, you mean?’ she retorted. ‘No, I don’t. My car’s in for repairs. And like a fool I didn’t think to ring for a taxi until I’d finished work. By then my customers had snaffled them all, which meant a forty-minute wait.’
‘Customers?’
‘I work behind the bar at the Mitre.’
He shook his head. ‘I’m fairly new in town. I don’t know that one.’
‘It’s a big place on the crossroads, near the area where we dropped Robbie. It used to be a coaching inn, now it’s the “in” place of the moment and very busy.’ Fen shrugged. ‘Which is how I got the job. They were desperate for staff.’
‘How long have you worked there?’
She smiled ruefully. ‘Long enough to know that a trudge home is bad news after a double shift on my feet. In future I drive or take taxis.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’ He finished his coffee and got up. ‘It’s a bad idea for any woman to walk alone at night. And for someone with your looks it’s madness,’ he added casually.
Fen took her looks for granted. But Joe Tregenna’s offhand remark pleased her rather a lot. Even with the sting in the tail. ‘It’s not a habit of mine, Mr Tregenna.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Can’t we cut the formality?’
‘Right. Thank you, Joe.’ She smiled, and held out her hand.
He held on to it for a second. ‘I was only too glad to help—’ He broke off as the phone at his belt began beeping. ‘Excuse me.’
Fen busied herself with rinsing the coffee mugs, doing her best to block her ears to what was obviously not the happiest of conversations.
‘For the last time, Melissa,’ she heard Joe say eventually. ‘I was delayed. I’m not even home yet. I’ll ring you tomorrow. Goodnight.’ He looked at Fen. ‘Sorry about that,’ he said brusquely, putting the phone back. ‘I forgot to ring the lady I dined with.’
‘Tell her it was my fault.’
He shook his head, the humour back in his eyes. ‘Somehow, Miss Fen Dysart, I think that would do far more harm than good.’
‘If that’s a compliment, thank you.’ She hesitated for a moment, then gave in to curiosity and asked what had brought him to Pennington.
‘I sell insurance.’
‘Really?’ she said, surprised it wasn’t something more high-powered. ‘Thanks again for coming to my rescue.’
‘My pleasure.’ He paused. ‘Do you live here alone?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then make sure you lock up securely behind me. Goodnight.’
Because her new home had no shower, Fen was rinsing her hair clean under the bathroom taps when reaction finally caught up with her. Shivering, she pulled the plug, hopped out of the coffin-like tub and wrapped herself in a towelling robe. She switched her hairdryer to the hottest setting, and the moment her hair was dry enough pulled on pyjamas for once and burrowed under the covers. But she took a long time to get to sleep. And when she did dreams woke her and rocketed her bolt upright, sweating and scrabbling for the light switch as she heaped curses on young Robbie’s head for giving her nightmares.
‘You look a bit fragile, Fen,’ said the owner of the Mitre next morning.
She explained about the near-mugging of the night before, and got bawled out by Tim Mathias for not asking someone for a lift home.
‘I
