‘The important thing is that he doesn’t get sepsis. If he had stayed here without treatment that’s probably what would have happened and he could well have died in a few hours’ time. His age is against him and this infection has got a grip, but he’s going to the right place, they’ll do everything possible. Have they got your phone number?’

‘Yes, they put me as his next of kin last time he went in.’

‘Good, then they’ll ring and report on how he is as soon as they can, and you can call yourself in the morning.’

‘It is morning. Can I get you a cup of tea or anything, Dr Cat?’

‘Thanks, I’m fine, I’ll scoot home now and get back to bed, but I will phone the hospital myself tomorrow, and you and I will be in touch.

‘I did the right thing in ringing you, didn’t I?’

‘Indeed you did. Now you get to bed too, you’ve done everything possible. They’re all very lucky to have you here.’

Sadie Logan flushed and shook her head, but Cat had meant it. By no means every sheltered housing warden she had had dealings with was as caring and concerned.

She took a few deep breaths before she started the car, and kept the window half open but she was good at keeping herself awake and attentive on night calls. It was when she got home that tiredness would fell her.

‘And please God, no more tonight.’

She had not known such exhaustion since she had been a junior hospital doctor on duty six nights out of seven. She dumped her bag on the hall table and locked the front door, but when she went into the kitchen to get a glass of water she felt a chill draught round her ankles. The side door was closed and bolted but the cat flap, which they had not got round to sealing up since Mephisto had died the previous year, was slightly open, probably blown in by the wind.

Only there was no wind, the night air was freezing and quite still. No human could enter through a cat flap but a stray animal might, in which case Wookie would have gone crazy.

Wookie was not in his basket, or in the sitting room into which he occasionally sneaked if the door had not been properly closed, to sleep in illicit bliss on the sofa. Cat’s study door was shut but she checked in case, as her desk chair had a handy cushion to which the little terrier was also partial.

She was not only tired now, she was annoyed, and with annoyance went worry, neither of which would be conducive to sleep, however tired she was.

After a ten-minute search of the house, including attic and cellar, she had not found Wookie.

‘Si . . . Simon, sorry, SIMON.’

He woke and sat upright in one movement, fully awake immediately.