Shades was already waiting for her when she got home, spread out on the easy chair like a cat. He made a show of looking at his watch and raised his eyebrows.

"Don't tell me my god-like body and rugged good looks are beginning to pale already."

"No, they're fine." Ess let her jacket fall over the kitchen chair and dropped into the sofa. "But my other boyfriend is really needy. It took me ages to get away from him."

"Fair enough. I can understand his point of view. I hope you gave his guide dog some biscuits."

Ess threw a cushion at him. "Oi! You cheeky sod. Be nice. I've had a hard day."

"Aw, sorry love. Do you want to rub my feet to take your mind off it?"

"Me? Rub your -- oh, haha, very funny."

Grinning, Shades levered himself off the chair and slid onto the sofa beside her.

"So, work? Social? Witchy stuff?"

"Yeah, all three, sort of."

"Want to talk about it?"

Ess shook her head. "Can't. Besides, that was work. I've clocked off now."

He reached a hand out and massaged the nape of her neck, strong fingers digging into the muscle. Ess closed her eyes and slowly stretched her back.

"And here I am complaining after your hard day at the office," he said. "I'm such an awful wife. What can I do to make up for it?"

"Have you cooked me dinner?"

"Nope. Good job I'm such a slut in the bedroom or you'd divorce me."

"Oh, that's right. I told you you were good in bed, didn't I. You believed me?"

"I can get better. All I need is practice."

Ess wriggled out of his grasp and snuggled into the crook of his arm.

"Maybe later? Sorry, babes, but I am shattered. I had a rough night last night, and my mind's on other things at the moment. Besides, I really am hungry. I had an early breakfast and I've not had lunch."

"Lunch?" Shades looked at his watch again. "Three o'clock? A bit late for that. I'll tell you what, shall I get us a takeaway? My treat. I'll even slop it onto plates for you."

"All E numbers and MSG? I don't think so. Cook me something."

"Yeah, right. Unless you want me to burn meat, you're out of luck there. Are you too tired to go out? On the plus side, if we can find anywhere open on a Sunday afternoon we shouldn't have to book."

Ess looked towards the kitchen, making a mental inventory of the fridge contents. There were plenty of ingredients, but it would involve cooking, and just for the moment she didn't want to bother.

"Yeah, stuff it, let's go out. There's a Thai place that never closes near the South Bank. I think they even burn meat. But if I buy you dinner you've got to put out for me later, okay? No teasing."

Shades gently prised her off his arm and leant away from her.

"I really don't know what sort of boy you think I am, that I'd put out for a meal. You'll have to buy me a drink as well if you want to get past first base."

"Oh God, there had better be drink involved, after my day."

The Thai restaurant was tucked out of the way, close enough to the South Bank complex to be convenient for the artistes and intelligentsia, but out of the way of the tourist thoroughfares. It was a twenty minute walk away, but the afternoon was warm and the company pleasant. They strolled north towards the river. Ess hooked her arm around Shades' and tried to forget the future beyond dinner and what may lay ahead for them later that evening.

"I get to have a lie in with my favourite fellah. How rare is that?"

"Lie in? You're not going to come on my dawn five-mile run with me?"

"Only five miles? Sure. Dawn, that's around eleven o'clock, right?"

Shades sighed. "Listen, I don't want to spoil the mood, but is everything going okay? With your case, I mean."

"Have I blundered into a dead end, you mean?"

"No, no. I have every confidence in you, you know that, and I know you don't want me interfering, and I haven't, have I? Only, if you were in trouble, you'd tell me, right?"

Ess looked up into his eyes. Much as she liked him, she had never pegged him as being the sensitive type who could divine her thoughts from the subtlest of clues. How had he guessed she was in trouble?

"What do you mean? I'm looking for a missing person, not bringing down an international drug ring."

She felt a lurch of guilt hit her stomach. She wasn't lying to him, she wasn't. And she didn't know she was in trouble. Daisy's father hadn't threatened her, not explicitly. And unless Dorothy could come up with some sort of counter to the enchantment, she couldn't tell him anyway.

"No, it's just me being the overprotective boyfriend. I know how much you like being treated like the little woman. Come on, down here. This is a shortcut."

He steered her into a narrow footpath, hardly more than an alley between ancient buildings.

"No it isn't." Ess tugged at him, but he laughed and pulled her on.

"What are you up to? You don't even know where the restaurant is."

He stopped and whirled her round, sliding his hands around her waist. "What, can't I have a quick snog with my girlfriend?"

"I never said I was your girlfriend. I keep you around because you can undo jars, nothing more. Don't go telling people I'm your girlfriend."

"Yeah, yeah. Give us a snog."

"No!" She glanced up the alley. A man approached, his eyes on the dark windows, averting his gaze. "Besides," she hissed, "there's someone coming."

Shades stepped back and his hands flew to his chest. He patted his jacket and trouser pockets and swore.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I forgot my wallet. I'll run back and get it."

"Don't be silly. I'll pay and you can pay your half back to me later."

"No, I won't be a kept man. It won't take a minute. Wait here."

He turned and hurried back up the footpath.

"Shades." Ess took a step towards him. "Don't be daft."

As Shades reached the pedestrian the stranger stepped aside to make room. For a moment Shades appeared to stumble, his shoulder dropping as he tripped, and then his right fist connected with the stranger's stomach so hard the man doubled up and fell backwards onto the pavement.

"Shades!" She ran forward. "Oh my God, are you all right?"

Shades reached out and grabbed the man's wrist.

"Up you get, chummy." He jerked him to his feet.

"Oh, we're so terribly sorry," said Ess.

"Yeah, here, let me just -- " Shades struck the man on the back of the shoulder as he twisted his wrist with his other hand. The man slammed into the wall. Shades intertwined one arm in his, his hand resting on the man's shoulder as the stranger's arm wrapped around Shades', his hand trapped on Shade's shoulder.

"Simon! Stop it. What are you doing?" Ess stood, too shocked to intervene.

"You called me Simon. Does that mean I'm in trouble? It's a Taekwondo hold," said Shades, matter-of-factly. "Actually, it's meant to be a ground restraint, but if you're any good it's possible to roll out of it. Up against the wall, though, you'd have to be able to fly. Besides, I dressed up for you, and I didn't want to get my trousers dirty."

"Let him go. You're hurting him."

"No, not really. To hurt him I'd need to lean in a little." Shades demonstrated, and the stranger grunted with pain. "See? No, this is just a restraint hold, until he tells us why he's following you."

"Excuse me?" Ess looked at the man's face again. She didn't recognise him. "Following me?"

"Well, he didn't follow me to your place, I'd have noticed. I did see him outside when I arrived, though. Didn't think much of it, but it's a bit of a coincidence him following us all the way from your place too, don't you think?"

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, trust me. I've followed enough people in my time. I'd have made a better job of it too. So, sunshine, who are you and why are you following us?"

"I don't know what -- aaahh."

"Oh sorry. You were talking so quietly I had to lean in to listen, because it sounded remarkably like you were lying to me. Who are you working for?"

"I don't know -- Agh!"

"Shades! You'll break his arm." Ess laid a hand on Shades' free arm. He didn't seem to notice.

"Break it? No. However, if I lever his arm back a little more and then lean in, there's a very real chance his shoulder will pop right out of its socket. Do you have your first aid kit on you?"

"Look, I'm just doing a job, okay?" The stranger tried to wriggle, but stopped immediately and winced. "I'm legit, just an obs and report job. That's all."

"What? You really were following me?" asked Ess, the man's distress suddenly forgotten.

"Ess, be a dear and see if he's got a wallet," said Shades. "I'd do it but that would involve me leaning in again and I don't think this gentleman would appreciate that."

Gingerly Ess tapped the man's jacket, reached inside and removed a wallet between finger and thumb, holding it as though it might explode.

"Has he got any identification in there?"

"Sorry," she told the stranger, then opened the wallet. Some bank cards, a photo of a woman hugging a couple of kids, and a small stack of business cards. She prised one out.

"Oh, he's a private investigator," she said. "T. Elcombe from City Investigations?"

"See?" said the prisoner. "I told you I was legit. Now let me go or there'll be trouble."

"Oh, there's trouble already," said Shades, "but fair enough. I'll let you go." He made no move to release him. "Oh, first, who was it you said had hired you again?"

"I don't know. No-no-no-no, I don't. I don't." He screwed his face up in pain.

"Shades! Stop it! He's telling the truth. I can read it." Ess slapped him on the arm. "Let him go, you hear?"

Shades looked at Ess' blazing face and, after a moment's hesitation, released the private detective.

"You don't know? How's that work then?" he asked.

Elcombe rolled his shoulder and massaged it with his other hand. "Look, I'm just a leg man, okay? A partner tells me to go do something, I go do it, put my time sheet in and collect my pay cheque. Obs and report was the brief, that was all. I don't know who the client is."

"Okay. So now you've observed, you can trot off and report. But if I see you or any of your friends hanging around, even the intervention of this good woman here won't be enough to save your arm, you understand?"

Elcombe stared at the two of them for a moment, then turned and hurried off down the footpath, still massaging his shoulder. Shades watched him go until Elcombe disappeared around the corner, then he turned to Ess and switched on a bright smile.

"Dinner?"