Lucien reflected that mornings were much more pleasurable since he and Jean had become engaged. Now, she not only straightened his tie and smoothed down his collar, but she also sent him away with a kiss.
On this particular morning, Lucien was reluctant to let go. He had caught her round the waist with his arm, while his other hand was tangled in the curls of her hair. What had started as a brief kiss was rapidly becoming more passionate, and Jean showed no signs of backing away.
Inevitably, of course, the phone rang, and Jean pushed him away gently and hurried off to answer it. Still savouring the thought of that kiss, Lucien gathered up his keys and bag, and headed towards the door. He could overhear enough of Jean's phone call to know it wasn't for him, so he put on his hat and set off for the police station.
Today he was only visiting the station to complete some paperwork, and it occurred to him that he could fit in a house call to an elderly patient on the way.
Mrs Williams was pleased to have any visitors, and it was twenty minutes before he had drunk the tea she offered, checked on her blood pressure and medications, and chatted to her a little about her grandchildren. It occurred to him that she was peering at him rather closely, and he wondered if she might need some new glasses. Perhaps he should suggest it.
As she opened the front door to let him out, she asked him, "How is Mrs Beazley, Doctor? I do hope she's well?"
Lucien was slightly surprised at the last minute question, but he turned back on the doorstep to reply.
"She's very well, Mrs Williams. Did you know we are getting married next month?"
"I thought you might be," she replied. "Goodbye, Doctor." And she promptly closed the door behind him.
With a slight sense of unease, Lucien drove on to the police station, where he breezed past Ned and Bill with a cheery good morning, and utterly failed to notice the glances they exchanged with each other.
Sitting, uninvited, in the visitors' chair at Frank's desk, he waited for Frank to finish his phone call. Lucien then immediately launched into the questions he needed answering about their last case, but he quickly got the impression Frank was distracted. He was fiddling with his pen and seemed to be only half listening. When Lucien eventually paused for breath, Frank cut in and asked, "How's Jean?" Lucien stared at him, puzzled.
"She's fine, Frank, but what about the case?"
"I think you should look in the mirror first," Frank said, grinning at him.
A horrible suspicion was forming in Lucien's mind. He slowly stood, then made a dash for the toilets. As he left he could hear Frank and Bill laughing.
As he stood in front of the mirror his suspicions were confirmed. All suddenly became clear - Mrs Williams' eyesight problem, Frank's lack of attention, the distant laughter he could still hear down the hall. Lucien was usually a stranger to embarrassment, but today was going to be an exception.
Because all too obviously across his face were the tell-tale signs of those kisses.
Lipstick.