‘Yes, Dad. You had to stay away to ensure you weren’t put in prison for your crime. You allowed an innocent man to be set up for murder, spend years in a cell, all so you could be free. I think I understand, yeah.’

‘I’ve never been free, Anna,’ he said.

‘Tell that to Billy Cawley. Tell that to Tina. You’re a coward, plain and simple.’ Anna pushed past them.

‘Where are you going?’ Muriel shouted after her.

‘To make a call,’ Anna said as she left the house.

Anna walked to the end of the road, and once she had a few service bars, dialled Lizzie.

‘Lizzie. He’s here. Come to Muriel’s … and bring Billy.’

Chapter One Hundred and Three

2019

Lizzie

Lizzie’s heart leapt.

He’s here. Bring Billy.

Anna’s words echoed in her head.

‘You’ll never believe it,’ she said, turning towards her dad.

Billy gave a small nasal laugh. ‘Eric Fisher has come to Mapledon,’ he said.

‘Yes. Bloody hell. How did you know he’d come here?’

Billy had already convinced Lizzie to hang around after they’d locked the bungalow up. He’d asked her to drive towards Muriel’s and park a street away.

They’d been sitting in the car talking when the call came.

‘Gut feeling,’ he said.

‘Shall we walk from here, then?’ she asked him.

Anna was standing at the open front door when Lizzie approached the house with Billy by her side.

‘As much as he deserves it, don’t hurt him,’ Anna said as they walked into the hallway.

Lizzie could feel the tension in the house like an electric charge. She wanted to tell Anna not to worry; no one was going to hurt Eric. But she couldn’t make that promise, because she didn’t know. As an adult, she’d met Billy twice before tonight – she had no idea what he might be planning when he faced the man who should have served the sentence in his place. Just because he’d told Lizzie he wasn’t there for revenge and wasn’t going to hurt anyone didn’t mean she one-hundred-per-cent believed him. She didn’t exactly feel qualified to make that judgement.

Billy stared at Anna for what felt like minutes – it was as though someone had pressed a pause button. Lizzie reached out and touched his elbow, hoping to jolt him from his motionless state.

‘I won’t,’ he said, finally.

The three of them entered the lounge. Lizzie’s whole body was taut now as she looked at Eric Fisher and Muriel huddled on the sofa, their pale, fearful faces looking up as they saw her and Billy. Eric slowly got to his feet.

‘Don’t involve Muriel and Anna in this, please.’ Eric’s eyes pleaded with Billy. ‘I’ll tell you what you’re here for, then you can do what you like with me. But don’t hurt them.’

‘Oh, Eric, Eric,’ Billy said, moving closer to him. ‘I’ve said already – I’m not here to hurt you, or them.’

A flash of confusion, or maybe it was disbelief, crossed Eric’s face. ‘You don’t want revenge? You don’t want me to suffer for getting away with it all these years?’