‘Fran hated Dominic,’ Pamela says, clutching me by my forearm, dragging me back to a seated position. ‘She knew he was unhappy, she knew he was going to leave her and come back to me. That woman is poison, Anna, and she knows that Dominic could never, ever do something as awful as what they’re saying he did. He’s not perfect, but he’s not a killer. I understand that she’s devastated by Laurel’s disappearance, but will you really support her in letting Dominic go to prison? Whoever really took Laurel is still out there, Anna, you know that.’

‘No, Pamela.’ I shake her off and get to my feet, ready to make eye contact with the waiter if I have to. ‘I don’t need to listen to this. Fran isn’t perfect, far from it, but she wouldn’t let Dominic go to prison if she didn’t believe that he did it. Despite the fact that things weren’t perfect between them, she loved him. And the police would never have charged him if they didn’t have the evidence to back up the claim that he was responsible.’

‘He’ll die in there, Anna.’ Pamela’s voice breaks and tears begin to stream down her cheeks, as she wipes her nose on her sleeve. ‘You should hear the things the other prisoners say to him, what they threaten to do to him. He’s innocent, Anna, I swear.’

‘What is that you want me to do, Pamela? Why have you asked me to meet you here?’

‘I want you to help me prove that Dominic is innocent. We need to get him out of there, Anna, I know he didn’t do it, but I need something to give to the police to prove that it wasn’t him who took Laurel.’

‘Pamela, I have to go.’ I step past her and make my way through the tables back towards the front of the restaurant, desperate to get outside and breathe some fresh, clean air.

‘She’s not so innocent.’ Pamela grabs my arm as I reach the front door, hissing in my face, ‘Do you really think she had nothing to do with any of this? This is as much her fault as it is anyone else’s.’

I tug my arm free, tearing the sleeve of my jacket and hurry away, almost running in my haste to get away from Pamela and her toxic ideas.