According to Babs, Shona's report made the national, as well as the local news. I didn't watch it. Neither did Peter. Apparently, Hugo even allowed himself to be interviewed. He admitted that many mistakes had been made. He held himself entirely accountable, fell cleanly on his sword, and resigned forthwith. Babs said it was rather moving and dignified. She said that Shona had said very little. Had let him do the talking. She said the footage of the cracked and broken water pipes, unearthed from the ground and leaking into rivers with dead fish floating in them, was not pretty. Mum saw it, too, in London. The fine levied on the company by the sentencing council was the largest ever imposed on a private company; they were made an example of. Bellingdon Water lost its account with South West Water. That accounted for seventy percent of its business and the company collapsed and went into liquidation.

Having said he was going back to America, Tommy, in fact, flew back to London every other week. I saw him as much as possible, but mostly he was in oak-paneled rooms in the City with Hugo and Roger and the receivers — and a lot of angry workers. He was doing what he did best: helping people and trying his best to salvage something.

A few investments Roger had made were what remained, once the terms for redundancy pay had been scrupulously adhered to. Trewarren House and the estate were to be sold. Roger, Tommy said, after his initial shock, was measured and patient. If he became scandalized by or angry at the trail of Hugo's woefully bad decision-making, which now became glaringly apparent, he simply left the room. Had a walk around Liverpool Street and then came back. And anyway, they didn't dwell on the mistakes, but the absolute commitment to do the very best for the workers Roger had known for years. To make sure they were all right. He and Tommy did most of the talking with the receivers, I gather, but Hugo was in full agreement.

Hugo, Tommy told me, when yet again he'd returned to my apartment well after ten at night, exhausted, slumped on the sofa with the supper I'd cooked hours ago on our knees, was strangely calm. In fact, he'd almost go so far as to say Hugo was relieved by the turn of events.

"It's weird. It's almost like he's been waiting for this day."

"I can imagine that," I said slowly. "It's probably worse living with such tremendous pressure, a guilty secret. A knowledge that you've done wrong. Once it's out and the axe has fallen — well, you can't go any further down."

"Particularly when you've attempted suicide already."

"You don't think he'll do that again?" I asked anxiously.

"No, I really don't. I think that moment has passed. You know they're going to Australia? Him and Christina?"

"Peter said. To see Etta."