She lit another cigarette and regarded Gabriela for a moment in a way that made her shift in her seat. Did she imagine her friend’s eyes flicking towards her belly, which had begun to swell, her body understanding too well, even at this early stage of pregnancy, what it had to do next?

‘Gabriela,’ she said gently, her face soft with worry. ‘Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?’

Pouring herself a glass of water to avoid Madeleine’s intense gaze, she nodded.

‘I’m sure. Like I said, I’m just tired. Being a full-time mum is relentless.’

‘Perhaps you should go away for a while,’ Madeleine suggested softly as they parted. ‘Take a break. Have some time on your own, away from the family and everything else … I’m sure Tom would understand.’

There were many things Madeleine might have been trying to tell her, but all Gabriela was aware of was the plan forming in her own mind.

Chapter 49

Isobel

I am in no mood to go home after I leave the refuge, and so I keep walking, turning right onto Delancey Street and through the doors of the nearest pub. Ordering a double whisky, I seat myself at the furthest table, positioned so that it is impossible to catch anyone’s eye.

Soon, I feel a numbness like an anaesthetic taking hold, less to do with the whisky than the relief of finally talking. Now that I have spoken at last, my words breaking the walls I had built around me, I feel strangely calm. There is no sudden surge of guilt or trauma or anxiety. I am not cleansed exactly, but for the first time in as long as I can remember I realise I am no longer clenching my stomach.

Knocking back the last drop of whisky, I stand to leave, the breeze on my cheeks reinvigorating me as I head back to the flat.

Once I am ensconced in front of my laptop, a cup of coffee by my side, I pull out the envelope and once again type Goran Petrović into Google, along with the company name PKI Ltd, to which the address near Tottenham Court Road is registered.

When nothing comes up, I click on the website of Companies House and press on the link to ‘Get information about a company’, ordering the registration details and accounts.

These won’t arrive in my inbox until the following day, but when they do they will provide me with the names of the nominated directors, and that expectation bolsters me.

I have barely pressed Send on my request when the phone rings on the table next to me. I recognise the number at once.

The voice at the other end of the line is laced with a sense of urgency. ‘I have someone here who might be able to help you … could you come now?’

Chapter 50

Gabriela