‘What else could we have done, Sal?’ her husband countered. ‘He refused to come, and when he gets like that, there’s no shifting him. Tonight was an annual commitment. Once a bloody year! He picks his moments, I’ll give him that.’

Sally’s mobile pinged and another text came through from Essie: Mathew was still circling the garden and was still incredibly distressed about something. George and Sally knew that Essie wouldn’t approach Mathew; she was unsure of him at the best of times. But she’d not leave him on his own either. Mathew was rarely aggressive but when he was, it was terrifying; and as an 18-stone, 26-year-old man, he could be hard to deal with. Another text:

Mathew’s come out onto the road and someone’s called the police!

It was another seven worrying minutes before George and Sally pulled up next to a patrol car parked across both lanes of the narrow road outside their home. Sergeant Fiona McDermott held up her hand and made a turning motion with her arm, telling them to go back the way they’d come. George and Sally got out of the car and raced to the blockade. ‘Oh, it’s you, Mr Barrowman. Thank goodness for that. I’ve not seen Mathew like this in years.’

In the distance, George could see a second police car blocking the road at the opposite end and, right in the middle, Mathew was pacing back and forth, shoeless, with his hands pressed tight over his ears. ‘I can’t get him to move off the road.’ McDermott’s tone was concerned but kindly. ‘If you could get him back into the garden and close the gates, that’d be perfect. Then I’ll need to talk to you.’

George called Mathew’s name as he approached and he immediately stopped pacing and lowered his hands. ‘Come on, lad,’ George said. ‘Let’s go home.’

Mathew’s voice quivered as he spoke. ‘No, thank you, Dad. No, thank you. I’m not going home. The police can go away now. I’m OK here.’

‘They’re here because you’re in the middle of the road. If you want them to go away, then you have to come home with Mum and me. You can’t be on the road, Mathew. It’s dangerous.’

Mathew strode towards the open gates, faltered as he got closer, then continued into the grounds of his home. George and Sally followed him, and three police officers on foot followed them. George clicked the button on his car keyring and the gates began to close. At the same time, from the darkness of the road, the police cars could be heard pulling out of the way and the traffic began to move again.