‘I’m not crazy, Sonia,’ I say, exasperated now. ‘Yes, I’m tired and grief-stricken and stuffed to my eyeballs with medication but I know I didn’t take that cardigan out of the box and I know something is not right here. Elspeth is alive. I’m certain of it.’

‘Maggie, you’ve got to stop this. You’ll make yourself ill. Do you want me to call Dr Mathers?’

‘No, I don’t want you to call Dr Mathers,’ I snap. ‘I just want to be left alone.’

‘Maggie?’

I get up off the sofa, clutching the cardigan to me.

‘Can you please just go, Sonia?’ I say, making my way to the bedroom. ‘I want to be with Elspeth now.’

I stop outside the bedroom door and listen as Sonia opens the porch door and lets herself out. Then I go into the room and lie down on the bed, holding the cardigan in my arms like a sleeping baby, and I start to cry so hard it feels like my heart is snapping in two.

48