‘Well, she has, lass. I wouldn’t have told you if I wasn’t sure. And apparently that Daniel is older than he looks, getting on for forty, Flo reckons, and that’s not all. He’s got a wife and bairns in Middlesbrough he ran out on years ago and he’s mixed up in all sorts of things besides the whoring. Flo knows a bloke who’s pally with a mate of Daniel’s and this mate said Daniel’s a nasty piece of work.’

‘Nice sort of friend to have.’

‘Aye. Well, anyway, he – this bloke Flo knows – said by all accounts Daniel isn’t someone to get on the wrong side of. I thought I’d put you in the picture ’cause I know you were thinking of calling on Ellie some time but I wouldn’t, I really wouldn’t, Ruby. He might be there.’

Ruby looked at Bridget in amazement. ‘Bridget, if what you’ve heard is right then there’s even more reason for me to go. I’ve got to get her out of there.’

‘And what if he turns violent?’

‘I’ve got to see her.’

‘She’s completely under his spell, you know she is. Look what she was like when she was living here. It was all Daniel this and Daniel that, the sun shone out of his backside as far as Ellie was concerned.’

‘If he’s forcing her to do that, she might be feeling different now.’

Bridget shook her head. ‘You’re barmy, right barmy.’ She stared at Ruby. ‘Look how he was the day Ellie left. He told you to keep away then, threatening you with goodness knows what. You’ll put yourself in harm’s way and for what, lass? ’Cause I tell you now, Ellie won’t leave him and if she tried he’d give her what for.’

‘I’ve got to see her,’ Ruby said again.

Bridget shrugged her shoulders, and then as she looked into Ruby’s dark, pain-filled eyes, she gave a great sigh. ‘Oh, what the heck, I’ll come with you. You can’t go alone, lass, take it from me. I’ll see if a couple of me pals’ll come with us, safety in numbers an’ all that. They liked Ellie when she used to hang around with us before Daniel got his claws in her.’

‘I can’t ask you to do that.’