"Then it's a good thing I'm here in your shop, isn't it?" Dex said promptly and brightly, straightening his cuffs. He didn't miss Tanith's slip, and he suspect Skulduggery hadn't either. He hadn't exactly introduced himself properly last time they'd met.

Then again, they'd been slaughtering a whole bunch of things at the time, and then other things afterward, and adrenaline did funny things. Either way, there was no point in hiding it, and unless he missed his guess, Tanith would go to great lengths to reassure Ghastly she wasn't about to run off with someone else. That's just the kind of girl she was, once she settled. Which was why Dexter had made a point of not lingering too long.

Girls like her just reminded him of his wife, in all the worst ways. Because she hadn't been like that.

"Listen to the lady in leather, Ghastly," he said with utmost seriousness. Almost. There was a touch too much relief edging into his tone to be truly sober. "I hear ladies in leather are always right. Or so she told me, anyway. Hiya, Tan'." Sheepishly he waggled his fingers at her. "Nice to see you again now we're not covered in blood and guts and exploded brains. I never introduced myself properly, did I?"