Jamie and Maddy come to stand in the kitchen doorway, as Helga puts on the kettle. She looks up at the ceiling, cursing that the glass ceiling tile has started dripping. She’s been thinking of a way of getting up there with her grouting gun, but she won’t have to worry about home repairs in the retirement village. There’ll be people for that. And what will Terry do? Her seagull? Will the next people who live here let him into the kitchen? She doubts it.

‘Jamie,’ Maddy prompts, nodding towards Helga. ‘Go on.’ Helga can see her eyes shining.

Jamie takes something out of his pocket and thrusts it towards her.

It can’t be her notebook … can it?

She takes it from him and runs her finger over the cover. Then she opens it and there it is: Linus’s number. In his handwriting.

‘Are you OK?’ Maddy asks, and she realises she hasn’t said anything.

‘Yes,’ she says. ‘It means a lot to get this back. But how? How did you get it?’

‘We’d better sit down and then Jamie can explain.’

Helga sits down on the sofa, still amazed that she’s holding her book.

‘I found it in the squat,’ Jamie explains. ‘Where I was staying.’

Helga glances at Maddy. She can’t be happy that her son has been staying in a squat.

‘There’s this guy – Scully. He steals from people all the time. He’s a dealer and … well, you don’t want to know what he’s like. I went back to get my bag, you see, with Tor. He was there and he scared us stupid.’

‘You went back with Tor?’

‘She recognised your book.’ He glances nervously at Maddy. ‘I didn’t realise until we were on the way here just now, but I’ve been here before.’

He looks worried and Maddy takes over for a moment. ‘Jamie was there that night you collapsed.’

‘You saw it happen?’

‘I tried to stop Scully following you, but it was over so quickly. He was cross with me and he ran off with your bag, telling me to follow, but then you were on the ground and clutching your chest and I … I was so scared. I didn’t think you’d make it. So I … I did the CPR thing.’

‘It was you?’ Helga asks, aghast.

He nods. ‘Well, I tried. Then I knocked on one of the cottage doors and then I ran. I thought if the police found me I’d be in real trouble.’

‘I had no idea you knew how to do that lifesaving stuff,’ Maddy says.

‘What do you mean? You made me go to Cubs,’ he says, with sad smile. ‘Then Scouts. Then Duke of Edinburgh, then that cadet thing. I guess I was equipped to save someone.’

‘I guess you were.’

‘And it was this Scully guy who made off with my bag?’ Helga asks.

Jamie nods. ‘I’m really sorry,’ he trails out. ‘I thought if I stayed … I don’t know what I thought. But I was scared of Scully.’