Not a great one for the small talk are we? Yes, it was during the war. Steve Rowland was the best of the best! But I sincerely doubt that he even knew that I existed. Even though I knew that he was married I still fell in love with him, just like most of the other girls. There were a lot of tears shed when we heard that he was dead.

So you can imagine how surprised I was when I saw him a year later, very much alive and sitting in the corner of a bar.

Whereabouts?

In Eastown, a nowhere's-ville where my sister, who I was visiting, lives.

And you're absolutely sure that it was Rowland?

Absolutely. He was in civvies but I would have recognised him anywhere.

And did he see you?

What do you think?… Anyway he was much to engrossed in his conversation to notice what was going on around him…

And in any case I heard the person he was with address him by name… And he was with someone you know quite well…

And who's that?

Why the great interest in Rowland, Tanner? I mean apart from the fact that you look like him?…

Who was he with, Betty? I need you to tell me, this is very important!

OK, OK, don't get so uptight… The man he was with was Colonel Mac Call.

Indeed.