After that, it wasn’t really a surprise to be driving out to collect Bel alone that evening. I’d managed about two hours in the office and then I’d pleaded a migraine. I’d gone to see Gar at the nursing-home instead, lying my head down on the quilt while she slept. When I left I had the strangest feeling; a sense of foreboding, as if I might not see her again.

‘Look after her, Susan, won’t you? Don’t let anyone you don’t know in to see her.’

Susan patted my shoulder fondly. ‘I won’t, ducks, don’t worry.’ She blew her nose. ‘We never do anyway.’

And then I drove to the police station and asked to see DI Fox. Only he wasn’t there. Day off, of course. Apparently he’d told me.

‘Do policemen have days off?’ I asked stupidly, and the nice police lady offered me a cup of tea in the interview room and asked me what was wrong, why did I want to see the Detective Inspector anyway, and could she help instead?

I turned down the tea though I was sorely tempted. ‘Could you ask him to call Maggie Warren, please?’ I called over my shoulder as I rushed out again.

I collected Digby from Jenny’s, went home to get some clothes, and then drove to Bel’s, ringing my dad to make him promise to visit Gar tomorrow. Charlie kept trying to call me; I didn’t listen to the message he left.

‘You all right, Mag?’ Bel let me in, looking incredibly spaced-out. Before I could answer Hannah flew down the hall in tears. ‘Can you look after Cagney and Lacey? Please, Maggie, please.’

Squeaking hysterically, Cagney and Lacey both looked terrified. Bel prised the guinea pigs from her daughter’s hands.

‘Hannah, Maggie can’t have them because of Digby, you know that. Amelia’s going to look after them for you.’

‘But she won’t give them back, I know she won’t,’ Hannah wept. ‘She’ll keep them forever.’

‘Oh, Han,’ I said, bending to hug her, and I felt like my heart was cracking all over again. ‘I’ll check on them for you, okay? I promise I will.’ I tried to muffle the sob in my sentence. ‘And we won’t let Amelia keep them, I swear.’ I felt my phone vibrate and then it rang.

It was Seb. ‘Maggie, babe, I’m sorry about this morning.’

‘No, I’m sorry,’ I said a little stiffly, moving off down the hall to stand alone in the shadows.

‘Are you okay now?’

‘I’m fine, thanks.’

‘I was quite worried, I must say.’

‘I’m fine, really.’

‘Good. Look, I don’t have much time cos we’re about to run the last act.’

‘I understand. You’d better get on.’