As annoyed as Evan still was that his dad had taken Irena’s word over his, Evan loved him and needed to know he was all right, so he stamped on the brake and did a quick U-turn. There was no point going back to the farm after the reception he’d received, and he doubted his dad would answer his phone if he tried to call him, so he decided to go to Yvonne’s and ask her to call him instead. His dad wasn’t overly fond of her, but she’d been his wife’s best friend, so he would come round if she told him she needed help with something. And then Evan would be able to talk to him without Irena’s brother and their runt mate listening in.

The cottage was in darkness when Evan pulled onto the drive a couple of minutes later, and Yvonne’s rusty little car was parked exactly where it had been the last time he’d been there. He hadn’t thought to ask his dad how she was doing, but he couldn’t imagine they’d have kept her in hospital for this long, so he guessed she was probably sleeping.

Driving round to the rear of the cottage, in case someone drove past and alerted his dad that he was here, he parked outside the back door. The pigs started squealing and grunting when he climbed out from behind the wheel, so he went over to check on them before knocking on the door. Both troughs were empty, but he remembered where the feed was stored from when he’d helped his dad out that week, so he filled one with that and the other with water before going back to the cottage.

There was no answer when he knocked, and no signs of life when he peered through the windows, so he went round to the front door and rang the bell a couple of times before raising the flap of the letterbox. All he could hear were cats meowing, and the stench of ammonia turned his stomach, so he quickly dropped the flap and scratched his head thoughtfully. If Yvonne wasn’t home, why hadn’t his dad been round to feed the pigs? And if he hadn’t fed them, he wouldn’t have fed the cats, either. Unless Yvonne was here, and she’d had another fall and couldn’t get to the door.

Concerned, he walked round to the shed where Yvonne’s late husband’s tools were still stored, and, using the flame of his cigarette lighter, rooted out a crowbar. Using it to jemmy the kitchen window open, he climbed in and dropped down onto the tiled floor.