‘That’s fine by me. What time?’

‘Seven-thirty too early?’

‘Not at all. If you think I could go to sleep again after this you’re mistaken.’

Miller replaced the receiver and turned to Grant. ‘She’s on her own – her father’s out of town. Mind if I put a car on watch up there? Just in case.’

‘Just in case?’ Grant said and smiled. ‘Young love – it’s marvellous. Go on – get out of here.’

It was raining heavily when Miller drove up to the house and the patrol car was parked by the entrance to the drive. He got out of the Cooper and walked across and the driver wound down his window.

‘Anything?’ Miller asked.

‘Not a thing, sarge. Some bird came out of the door about five minutes ago and took a walk in the garden, that’s all. She must be nuts in this weather.’

‘Okay,’ Miller said. ‘I’ll take over. You can shove off now.’

The patrol car moved away and he got back into the Cooper and drove up to the house. As he got out, a voice hailed him and he turned to find Harriet crossing the lawn. She was wearing an old trenchcoat of her father’s and a scarf was bound around her head peasant-fashion.

‘I saw the police car at the gate when I came downstairs,’ she said, her face grave. ‘What is it, Nick?’

‘Maybe we’d better go inside.’

‘No, I’d rather not. Jenny’s in the kitchen …’

‘And she doesn’t know what you and your father have been up to, is that it?’

She turned away, an angry flush staining her cheeks, and he pulled her round to face him. ‘You said your father had gone away for a few days. Is that the truth?’

‘Of course it is.’

‘And you didn’t know what he was up to last night?’

She shook her head, her eyes anxious. ‘Please, Nick – I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

He looked at her searchingly for a moment and then nodded. ‘All right – I believe you.’

He sketched in the events of the night briefly and when he finished, she looked pale and drawn. ‘I can’t believe it.’

‘But you knew about the other things.’

She gazed up at him searchingly. ‘Are you here as a friend, Nick, or as a policeman?’

‘As a friend, damn you.’ He took her hands and held them fast. ‘You must believe that.’

She nodded. ‘Yes, I knew about the other things. It seemed wrong somehow that Max Vernon should get away with what he did.’ She looked up at him fiercely. ‘I’m not sorry.’

‘You will be if he gets his hands on your father.’

‘You think that’s possible?’