‘I thought you couldn’t get a signal up there,’ Beynon says.

‘It was erratic, yes. But sometimes there was a signal.’

‘Rosamund got a call from Neil while we were up there, and a couple of text messages,’ I say.

‘So Maddie got lucky, aye?’ Beynon says. ‘So what did it say? This message.’

‘I can’t remember exactly. It will be on my phone.’ Finn furrows his forehead. ‘She said something about Elise would have wanted the dog. Said I was the only person she could trust.’

‘But you never saw her.’

He shakes his head again, and closes his eyes once more. ‘Julia told me Maddie’s dead,’ he whispers, a single tear rolling down his cheek. ‘Why would anyone kill her? Why would anyone kill my mum?’ His voice fades to nothing, and I stare at him for a long moment, relieved he’s going to be OK, and relieved too that he’s kept quiet about me stabbing him – though, in truth, I’m not sure I can live with the guilt.

‘Enough now,’ the nurse says. ‘Let him rest.’

‘You should go, Inspector,’ Julia rises, firmness in her voice. She grabs a pink padded jacket from the back of her chair, and puts it on.

Beynon rises too, and looks up at her. ‘Is he your boyfriend?’ she asks her.

‘No,’ she says. ‘Not that it’s any of your business.’

‘Everything is my business in a murder enquiry, Miss Collis.’

‘Well he’s a good friend, is all,’ Julia says, as the police leave, followed by the nurse, and the door clicks closed behind them.

‘I’m so glad he’s OK,’ I say, about to leave too.

‘Well, you would be, wouldn’t you?’ Julia sounds suddenly bitter.

‘Sorry?’

‘It would have been murder if he’d died, Amelia. I saw the blood on you when you arrived at the farmhouse that night. It was his blood, wasn’t it?’

‘Julia.’ It’s Finn. ‘I need more water.’

She picks up the glass once more, and I make a dash for the door, my heart thumping.

She knows. She knows it was me.

Chapter 43

Present Day

Amelia

‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’ I say down the phone, relieved the girl with the pink hair who lives next door to me back in London – I so wish I knew her name – has agreed to look after my cat for a bit longer so I can stay with Dad and Thomas.

We returned from Scotland five days ago, and I’m staying at Dad’s for now. I feel safer here. Despite fears that Julia knows what I’ve done, I haven’t heard anything from her or Finn.

Dad called DI Beynon yesterday, and was told Finn is out of hospital, but, for now, no arrests have been made. They are still looking for Elise.