‘You’re going to say, what am I doing here,’ Danny said quietly. He was wearing a grey suit and a dark shirt. He looked smart, handsome, his hair less dishevelled than usual. I’d never imagined him like this.

‘Yes I am. What the fuck are you doing here? Oh God. I can’t believe it.’ And I slapped my palms against my own forehead so hard it hurt. ‘God God God,’ I intoned. ‘You bastard.’

He grabbed my wrists. ‘Don’t.’

‘Fuck off,’ I hissed. I didn’t ever remember feeling this angry. Ever. Fury made me strong, strong enough to get out of his grasp this time. I lunged back from him. ‘How could you have done that? How could you have?’

‘Calm down, Rose,’ he said.

‘Why? Why would I calm down? You bloody bloody liar.’ I stared at him. He dropped his gaze first.

‘Just wait a sec.’ He leaned over me and pushed open a door. It was some kind of waiting room; he manoeuvred me in.

‘What the fuck are you doing here? Where’s—’ I gazed at him. ‘Is it true? Are you really a policeman?’

We looked into each other’s eyes; the eyes that once I could have drowned in.

‘Aye.’ Slowly he nodded. ‘’Fraid so.’ Then he bent his head to light his roll-up.

‘So.’ I was trying to catch up, to get my brain to catch up -but I was so shocked I couldn’t work it out. ‘So what, Danny? Or – I guess that’s not your real name.’

‘Rose,’ he came nearer, ‘I never meant to lie to you. But my hands were tied. I couldn’t tell you the truth.’ The Scottish burr suddenly sounded stronger than it ever had. ‘I didn’t have a choice. I really didn’t.’

‘You played me,’ I whispered, and I felt sick to my core. ‘You just used me to get to James. Oh God, oh God.’

‘Listen to me.’ He grabbed my wrists again and the smoke from his cigarette made my eyes water. ‘It was nothing to do with your husband, I swear. I wasn’t interested in him. No one was. He just got in the way, that’s all.’

‘So who were you interested in? Kattan, obviously.’

‘I’m not at liberty to say.’

‘Liberty? Are you taking the piss?’ I glowered at him.

‘Please, Rose.’ He dropped his hands. Did he look a little sad? ‘It’s so complicated.’

‘You know, when you ran away from me, I thought that hurt. But this, this is worse.’ My eyes filled with tears of rage and pain. ‘I thought – I thought that you quite liked me.’ I heard my pathetic plaintive tone and I despised myself.

‘I did. I do.’ He reached out to touch my face, but I ducked like I had in the rain that evening last year, turned away.