A knock on the door disturbs my thoughts. Shit, who could that be? Grabbing a towel, I step out of the shower. It must be Jeff. No one ever calls here except Jeff. Dad has never made the trip. He hates coming into the city unless it’s absolutely necessary. Danny and Joanna came to approve when I first moved in. But they haven’t been back. There’s no need, when I see them every Sunday at Dad’s.

Another knock, louder this time. ‘I’m coming,’ I shout while pulling on a robe. Please, God, don’t let it be that detective, Ivy Turner.

‘Who is it?’ I say, with my hand resting on the lock.

‘The coffee guy,’ Jeff says.

I breathe a sigh of relief and turn the handle. Jeff bustles in, smiling and holding two takeout lattes.

‘Heard your shower on my way out,’ he says. ‘Thought you might need one of these.’

I open my mouth to say thanks but before I can utter the words I’m crying, tears pouring down my face as if some tank inside has overflowed. Jeff puts his coffee down and rushes over, guiding me to the couch.

‘Hey,’ he says. ‘What’s happened? Is it your mom?’

Slowly, with much hiccupping and gulping, I tell Jeff about my unfolding nightmare. He doesn’t seem to know what to say, this man who is never quiet. Taking a deep breath, he sits back in the chair and pushes his fringe back off his forehead.

Please don’t look so helpless, Jeff. Say something. Maybe tell me what I should do?

‘And your dad and Danny know nothing about this?’ he says.

‘Not yet. I don’t know whether to tell them, especially with Mom the way she is. Dad is in an awful state.’

I can feel my insides shaking. My teeth chatter. A chill passes through my body, making me clutch myself. I can only imagine what I look like, sitting here with wet hair and a red blotchy face in a sad old bathroom robe. Jeff must think I’m crazy. He’s probably sorry he knocked on the door now.

‘Why won’t the cop tell you why this Katie Collins is looking for you?’

‘I don’t know, Jeff. She won’t tell me anything.’

‘What about her husband? Is he looking for her too?’

‘I don’t know. According to the news they have a baby girl, so he’s probably looking after her.’

Jeff looks out the window as if pondering my situation. Or maybe he’s just wondering how he can get the hell out of here without looking bad.

‘If the cop won’t tell you, I think we need to talk to the husband,’ he says. ‘But how do we do that?’

The relief surges through my bloodstream. The room seems to get brighter. It’s like someone has turned my life to the next page.

Jeff said we.