‘I don’t know.’

‘I’ll do that now.’

Mary didn’t answer the phone till the sixth ring.

‘It’s Jez.’

‘What do you want?’

‘To let you know what’s happened to Tom.’

Her tone changed instantly. ‘What do you mean? Is he all right?’

‘His wife has accused him of beating her up. The police are at his house, questioning him.’

‘He’d never do that, not my Tom.’

‘I don’t believe he would, either. I’ve arranged for a lawyer to go and help him. I just thought you’d better know.’

There was silence, then a grudging, ‘Thank you. I’ll call Brian at work, get him to go round to be with Tom.’

‘Good idea.’

As he put the phone down, Jez cursed the fact that he was too far away to help. Still, Tom had turned to him. That was a good sign – wasn’t it? It must be.

And whatever Donna said, whatever anyone said, he was absolutely certain Tom was innocent.

Tom looked up as someone knocked on the door. More police? Were they coming to take him to the station and lock him away? He hadn’t a clue what the procedure was in this situation.

A man was shown into the room. He looked tired, his clothes were rumpled and he seemed to know the female police officer.

‘Has Mr Prichard been charged with anything, Liz?’

She shook her head. ‘We’re still investigating the complaint, Morrie.’

‘Can I speak to my client alone, please?’

She nodded and left them in the small sitting room.

‘I’m Maurice Yetherby. Jez Winter has hired me to look after your interests.’

‘I didn’t do it,’ Tom said at once.

‘Tell me every single detail.’

When he’d finished, Yetherby also studied his client’s hands. ‘You’ve no signs of bruises or grazing.’

‘Because I didn’t hit her! I didn’t touch her in any way, though she rubbed herself against me. Gail’s a good liar and she’ll do anything to get her own way, even hurt herself.’

There was a knock on the door and the policewoman came in again. ‘The doctor’s here to examine your wife and he’d like to see you too afterwards, Mr Prichard.’

‘Do we need a doctor of our own?’ the lawyer asked in a low voice.

She hesitated, looking over her shoulder, then shook her head quickly, even as she said, ‘I can’t discuss the case at this stage, you know that, Morrie’

Tom looked from one to the other, bewildered at the subtext in this conversation.

There was another knock on the front door and they showed his stepfather in.

‘Did you ring Winter?’ Brian asked Tom.

‘Yes.’

‘Why didn’t you ring me?’

‘I don’t know. But he sent someone to help me.’ He introduced the lawyer.

Brian scowled at Yetherby. ‘Is it all right if I stay?’

‘Yes, of course.’

A few minutes later the doctor was shown in, examined Tom’s hands with a magnifying glass, then turned to the police officer. ‘Couldn’t have attacked her like that without doing some damage to himself. There’s no sign of it whatsoever.’