Harper gave Patrick a long look. Why would a man rush outside barefoot if he was truly convinced there was nothing to chase? Shoes would only take a moment to find and put on. She narrowed her eyes. Patrick became uncomfortable under her scrutiny, crossing and re-crossing his arms and frowning. He reached down to scratch his foot where a bandage had been applied. Was this the story of a dedicated husband, making a sacrifice in the moment to appease his anxious wife? Or was this a man with something to hide? There was a veil over Patrick. She could smell his lies. In contrast, looking at Lauren was like looking at a glass of water. If she was trying to conceal anything, it was only her confusion, her shame.

Harper stood up. “If you don’t mind, Lauren, I’d like to see the exact spot where you saw the woman.”

“I thought I just told you,” said Patrick. “There was no woman.”

Harper smiled tightly. “You did tell me that, Mr Tranter, repeatedly in fact. I simply would like to make a routine check of the area, to put my own mind at rest. I trust you have no objections?”

“Well, I don’t see why you would bother yourself.”

“Nevertheless,” said Harper, “could you please show me, Lauren?”

*   *   *

Lauren stood in the doorway, clutching the babies. “A bit to the left,” she called, and Harper directed her torch towards the place she’d indicated. The undergrowth was flattened there, just as if a person had trampled it. Something had been here, quite recently, considering the freshness of the broken foliage. Patrick said he hadn’t entered the bushes himself, only checked from the pavement to see if anyone was there. But there was no evidence it had been done by a woman; it could have been a fox, or a dog, or some children making a den, but the fact of it supported the general theory that someone or something had been there; Lauren had seen something, even if it wasn’t what she thought. Apart from a few pieces of litter and a couple of scraps of dirty black fabric, there was nothing else to see. Harper climbed out of the ditch and walked back towards the house where Patrick waited on the doorstep. Lauren had gone back inside.

Patrick spoke quietly, as if he didn’t want his wife to hear. “I contacted the out-of-hours GP about tonight. They’ve told me to make sure Lauren gets a good night’s sleep. If she’s still anxious in the morning I’m to make an appointment. I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time coming all the way out here. I would have stopped her from calling you, if I’d known she was going to.”

Harper glanced back towards the bushes before she spoke. “Has it ever occurred to you, Mr Tranter, that your wife might be telling the truth about seeing this woman?”