‘Yeah. Who knows when the police will get here if it’s a busy time? I’m not bad at looking after myself in a fight. How about one of us goes in at the front and one at the back?’

‘Sounds good.’ Angus turned to Nell. ‘You stay near the car, love. You’ll see more from there than from inside Elise’s house. Lock yourself in it and call the police again if you think it’s necessary.’

She glared at him. ‘Don’t be daft. I’m coming to stand near the front door after you go inside. I can phone from there just as well as from here and I may be able to help.’

‘Elise says there’s only one man, so you won’t be needed.’

She folded her arms and looked at him. At the sight of the determination on her face he gave up and turned to Elise again. ‘You’d be safer if you locked yourself in your house.’

She nodded and they heard her door close as they walked quietly along the paved path to the next house.

He tried the front door and it was locked.

‘Break a window?’ Adam whispered.

‘No need. I’ve got master keys.’ He took them out of his pocket. ‘I’ll unlock this door then go round the back. Unless Stacy starts screaming again, count steadily to fifty then go in as quietly as you can. We want to take him by surprise.’

He too started counting to fifty as he walked. When he reached the rear of the house, he saw that the kitchen blinds and the curtains over the French windows were all drawn. That must be recent if Elise had seen inside a short time ago. Damn! It’d make it harder to know when was the best moment to surprise the intruder.

It worried him more than a little that the man wanted to hide what he was doing in a room looking out on to a blank wall.

He slid the key into the lock and as someone began speaking loudly inside turned it, hoping the voice would mask the sound of the key.

He waited till the count of fifty to fling open the back door, but what he saw had him freezing on the spot. The intruder had a knife at Stacy’s throat and a trickle of blood was running down her neck.

There couldn’t have been a worse time to break in and betray his presence.

‘Stay back, you, or I’ll really hurt her!’ the man yelled, shouting the same command at Adam as he appeared in the hall doorway. He manoeuvred Stacy’s chair till he was able to see both newcomers as well as hold her chair steady.

He looked wired with rage and still had the knife at her throat. Both Angus and Adam quickly did as ordered.

‘Get over to the other side of the room, both of you, and put your hands on the wall above your heads.’

He laughed loudly as they did this. ‘See, Stacy, even your would-be rescuers aren’t as smart as I am and I’m going to teach them a lesson as well as you afterwards, oh yes, and then I shall—’