‘I don’t suppose anyone could begrudge her some light after all the dark.’

‘No, love. Just a shame for Zoe and Daisy. Another broken family in Mapledon.’

Anna nodded in agreement – the memory of Eric leaving her and Muriel flitting through her mind. ‘Okay, well, thanks so much, Sandie. You’ve been really helpful. And if you could keep an eye on Mum when I’ve gone, that would be great – put my mind at ease a bit about her living alone. James had suggested I take her home to Bristol with me, but I can’t quite see it working particularly well.’

‘Goodness, no. Neither can I. And to be honest, I don’t think you’d ever get her to leave Mapledon anyway – no matter what was going on or how frightened she might be. This place is in her blood.’

Chapter Fifty-Six

2019

Lizzie

Nerves had prevented Lizzie from eating breakfast, and now, as the time rolled on towards lunch, her stomach growled. She’d been sitting in her car for the past half an hour, waiting, watching the driveway, her fingers drumming on the wheel. She assumed Billy must have transport – how else would he have been visiting Mapledon from his caravan in the farmer’s field? He’d said he had to be outside a ten-mile radius to keep to his conditions, so walking would surely be out of the question. She checked the time on her mobile for the twentieth time.

Had he changed his mind? Decided it wasn’t worth the risk?

Lizzie glanced back towards the B&B and noticed a shadowy figure lurking behind a curtain in one of the upstairs rooms. It must be Gwen. She mentioned she’d be getting more rooms ready for guests. She was probably wondering why Lizzie was sitting in her car. She was drawing attention to herself, so if Billy did turn up, Gwen was bound to be even more curious about him. She needed to be more nonchalant. Hoping Gwen was still watching, she got out of the car, her attention on her mobile phone. She held it up, casting it around as if to find a signal. Maybe Gwen would think she’d been trying to make a call all that time.

Lizzie stood by the front door, eyes still searching the driveway. It was the only way into the B&B. Perhaps she’d go for a walk – at least she’d be out of sight and could catch Billy before he came up the drive. They could walk and talk; they didn’t need to sit in full view of Gwen. Their conversation would be more private. But what if he came another way – through the trees, across a field or something? She’d miss him if she wasn’t right here. Her stomach was one big knot. The ringing of her mobile jolted her out of her thoughts. No caller ID. She accepted the call.

‘Hello?’

‘Hi, Lizzie, it’s Anna. We need to talk.’ The intensity of her voice set Lizzie’s pulse racing.