Kate stopped the video. It was excruciating, listening to hours and hours of other people’s misery. God knows how Tom did it.

She copied the files into her secret cloud account then slotted the SSD card back into the spy cam and slid it into her pocket. Tom was still snoring lightly and most of the guests were in the living room or their bedrooms. No one would notice her slipping into the therapy room to put the key fob back in the dish.

As she returned the laptop to her desk she glanced outside. The garden, and the fields beyond it, were bathed in moonlight, barely a house to be seen. It was so different from London. There was so much space, so much room to breathe. A red dot, moving erratically at the end of the garden, caught her attention. Someone was smoking; after she’d stressed how important it was that smokers use the ashtrays in the back porch. So irritating. Why didn’t people listen?

Tapping her pocket to check that the spy cam was still safely stashed away she grabbed her coat from the hook on the back of the bedroom door and hurried down the stairs.

‘Excuse me, Kate!’ Peter called from the living room. ‘If you have a minute I’d just like to—’

But Kate was already halfway out the front door. She stalked up the garden, squinting to make out the two smokers as she drew closer. One was tall with cropped hair, the other shorter and wider. Geraldine and Joy, out for an evening stroll? Odd that the two women who were at each other’s throats during the morning session had suddenly become friendly enough to spend their evening together. Was Geraldine trying to get Joy onside or was she quizzing her for the piece she was writing? Stupid bitch. She’d never get anything out of her. Uber fans like that were loyal to a fault.

‘If you’ll excuse me,’ Geraldine says now. ‘It’s getting cold and I need to make a phone call.’

Of course you do, Kate thinks grimly. You’ve got an editor to report back to.

‘You’re excused.’ Kate laughs, a horrible tinkling sound that, even to her ears, sounds fake. ‘The fire’s lit in the living area so you can warm yourself up there. And there are extra blankets if you’re cold tonight.’

‘Thank you.’ Geraldine couldn’t look more desperate to get away if she tried.

Kate watches as she plods back down the hill in her ugly old woman shoes. It’s Geraldine’s one-to-one with Tom tomorrow. Kate folds her fingers around the key fob in her pocket. That’ll make for interesting viewing, assuming she doesn’t spend the whole hour lying through her teeth.

She’ll get it set up, then pull Joy aside for a word; see if there’s anything Geraldine Rotheram would rather she didn’t find out.

Chapter 18