Reluctantly she opened the door. ‘Something the matter?’

‘Not with me, no. But I think your battery’s dead,’ he replied, helpfully.

‘I know. But I can’t see how. I only drove it last night. It was fine.’

‘Did you leave your lights on? Door open?’

‘Of course I didn’t leave …’ Tara spluttered with outrage, then spotted the interior light switch. Still on. She stared at it, then threw her head back against the seat in frustration.

She had to see Phil today. If she didn’t, something stressful would happen at work that would make her crave some no-strings distraction, or else he would find a way to charm her off her high horse. He’d done it before. Tara groaned.

‘Not to worry,’ Keith went on easily. ‘Got any jump leads?’

‘No. Have you?’

‘Ah. I did in my old car. Not this one. Where were you off to?’

Proof he wasn’t a proper dad, thought Tara. All dads had jump leads somewhere. And screwdrivers, and stepladders. ‘Birmingham,’ she said without opening her eyes.

‘Really? What for?’

‘I don’t want to answer that.’

He didn’t rise to her snappy tone. ‘I mean, is it important? Do you need a lift?’

Tara tilted her head just enough to see her father’s expression. It seemed genuine enough. Or at least, as genuine as the concern he showed to the village hall team.

‘Pretty important, yes,’ she conceded.

‘I’m having lunch in Bromsgrove, so I can drop you off at the station, or if you and Sybil need a lift all the way, I don’t mind taking you.’

Tara weighed it up. It had to be today. She wouldn’t put it past Phil to turn up on her doorstep, or send more flowers to work. She couldn’t get to IKEA on the train, and carting Sybil around on public transport wasn’t fair on either of them.

But on the other hand, did she really want to be trapped in a car with her dad for ninety minutes – what if there was traffic? They were getting on well enough, but there were still things she didn’t want to talk to him about, personal things, and she was on edge enough as it was without having to come up with endless non-Mum, non-new life, non-upsetting topics of conversation. You could only have so many conversations about Line of Duty.

‘Tara?’ Keith’s tone had changed. ‘You’re not … having the cat put down, are you?’

‘No!’ She sighed. ‘If you must know, I’m meeting my boyfriend to end our relationship. I have to give Sybil back. She’s his, after all.’

‘Oh. You never mentioned a boyfriend?’ The tone was overly casual.

‘No. I didn’t.’ She sighed. ‘I’m not sure he was ever … exactly my boyfriend.’

‘Well, then you need a lift, don’t you?’