But a car drew up outside her house as she was going inside and she saw the pastor from her mother-in-law’s church getting out of it.

Oh, hell! Not him again! He’d come round yesterday as well, only she’d been in bed and once she’d peeped out and seen who it was, she hadn’t answered the door. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to keep on his good side, just in case she needed support in her custody application. Good thing she’d not had a drink yet.

‘Good afternoon, Gail.’

She hated his smarmy smile and his oily voice but smiled back. ‘Nice to see you again, Elliott.’

‘May I come in and talk to you?’

‘I suppose so.’ He came into her living room and sat down, grimacing as he lifted some clothes off the armchair. Well, what did he expect, turning up without warning – a house beautiful?

‘Should we start with a prayer?’

She bent her head and let him waffle on, wondering what he really wanted today.

When he’d finished, he leaned forward, hands clasped. ‘Mary came to see me. She was very upset.’

‘She upset me, too.’

‘Oh? How did she do that?’

‘The way she talked to me, as if I was worthless.’

‘She said you’d been drinking. Perhaps you mistook what she was saying.’

Gail shrugged. ‘I know what I heard. Anyway, if her stupid son would only come back, and bring Hayley and Ryan, I’d not need to drink.’

‘You must miss your children very much.’

‘What? Oh, yes. Yes, I do.’ She snatched a tissue from the box and dabbed at her eyes, and either he had worse eyesight than Mary or he didn’t think of looking to see whether she was producing tears or not.

‘Have you contacted your husband since he went to London?’

She bent her head, still hiding behind the tissue, surprised to realise she hadn’t even thought of ringing him. How stupid was that? She had his mobile number. ‘I daren’t,’ she admitted and that at least wasn’t a lie.

‘Shall I ring him for you?’

She sniffed and dabbed, thinking this through. ‘Would you?’

‘Of course. I’ll do anything I can to help.’

She went to fetch a phone and dialled Tom’s number, then held the phone out to Elliott. ‘You speak to him first. He hangs up on me.’

Well, he might hang up if she spoke to him. She wouldn’t put anything past him lately.

Tom looked at his mobile to see who was ringing. Gail. Should he answer it or not? He’d better. If he didn’t, she’d not stop ringing till she got through to him. ‘Hello?’

‘This is Elliott, the pastor at your mother’s church.’

‘My mother’s all right, isn’t she?’

‘Your mother’s fine, if rather troubled in spirit. It’s your wife I’m worried about – we’re all worried about Gail. She’s here with me now, but she’s been afraid to ring you. Would you speak to her, listen to her?’

‘My lawyer said I should avoid arguments.’