Amazingly, Lucas answered his phone after only two rings and explained he was in his car on the way to the airport for a flight to New York, where he was due to give a talk at a symposium of digital media types. It was hard for Ellis to imagine Lucas doing such a thing, as he’d always hated to be the centre of attention, preferring, in his own words, to ‘lurk’ unobtrusively in the background.

‘Are you nervous?’ Ellis asked him.

‘Not really. I know my stuff, and the company wouldn’t send me unless I did. I’m fully prepped, so it’s just a matter of conveying my knowledge as clearly and as succinctly as I would if I were in the office.’

With a feeling of pride, Ellis said, ‘Good for you.’

‘So what’s with the middle-of-the-night call, it must be about two in the morning there?’

Ellis told him what Rick had done to Willow, and of Naomi’s abusive relationship with Colin and how she had admitted for the first time today to her daughters what had gone on in secret, but that Willow, as a young child, had witnessed some of what had taken place. Keeping his promise to Naomi, not a word did he say about Willow being raped as a student. When he’d finished, the line was so deathly quiet, he wondered if he’d lost the connection. ‘Are you still there, Lucas?’ he asked.

‘Yes. I was just figuring out how best to respond.’

‘I know the feeling.’

‘This’ll sound like I’m being wise after the event, but I didn’t take to Willow’s fiancé. He struck me as a bit weird with the way he was always touching her, it gave me an uncomfortable feeling.’

‘I know what you mean.’

‘And I certainly didn’t think he was her type. What’s going to happen next?’

‘I keep wondering that myself,’ said Ellis.

‘What’s the answer then? Because she mustn’t go back to Rick. Willow must see that it would be the same situation as you’ve just told me about Naomi putting up with her abusive husband for all those years. I still can’t believe she stayed with a man like that. Why the hell do women do it?’

‘That’s a whole other debate and not something we, as men, generally can easily understand. Not unless we’ve been in a similar situation.’

‘On a practical note, I hope somebody has had the sense to put together some photographic evidence of what Rick has done to Willow. She might need to produce it to prove he’s been violent towards her.’

‘Martha already thought of that and, much against her wishes, Willow did in the end allow her sister to take some pictures.’

In the background, all those miles away, Ellis could hear the sound of a siren. When it had passed, Lucas said, ‘Look, Dad, I’m almost at the airport, so I’ll have to end the call, but I have one more question. Do you think I had anything to do with what Rick did to Willow? I’d never forgive myself if that was true.’