The newcomer turned to Adam, who was standing closest to Stacy. ‘Do you want me to call an ambulance for your girlfriend?’

‘Yes, I think we’d better call an ambulance, but she isn’t my girlfriend.’

‘I don’t want to go to hospital,’ Stacy protested.

‘It’ll be better if a doctor can give evidence in court about your injuries,’ the female officer said mildly. ‘The bruises can show a lot about what he did to you. You don’t want him getting away with this attack for want of evidence, after all.’

She sagged. ‘Oh. Yes. I see. All right, then. But they’re not keeping me in the hospital.’

‘That’s up to you and them.’

‘No need for an ambulance. I can drive her there,’ Adam offered. ‘I’ve driven past it so I know where it is. Angus and Nell would be best staying here and keeping an eye on things. They’re the owners.’ He got out his phone. ‘I’ll just let my daughter know what’s happened.’

‘I’d better check up on Elise next door,’ Nell said.

Angus stayed with the two officers, watching grimly as Darren was taken away, then he locked the house up and after Elise had gone back inside, he switched on the rear perimeter alarm system again.

‘If anyone was coming to vandalise these houses tonight, I bet the sight of a police car will have driven them off,’ he said to Nell, yawning.

‘I hope so.’

As they left Saffron Lane and began to walk towards the big house, two figures came towards them, calling, ‘It’s only us.’

Angus let out a sigh of relief. ‘What the hell are you doing out here, Janey and Gemma?’

‘We thought witnesses might come in useful. What exactly happened?’

‘It was nothing to do with the houses. Stacy’s ex had attacked her and tied her up. You can guess what he was planning to do.’

Both girls shuddered and glanced involuntarily over their shoulders.

‘It’s all right. The police have taken him away and your father’s taken her to hospital to get checked out, Gemma. They only seem to be minor injuries, thank goodness.’

‘So it wasn’t the developer trying to damage the houses.’ She sounded almost disappointed.

‘Not this time, no.’

Nell moved forward. ‘Come on. We’ll walk you two along to Miss Parfitt’s and you should stay there till your father gets back.’

When they got to the front of the next house Angus reiterated that warning. ‘Do not try to interfere again. You could have got hurt or distracted us and caused us to be hurt. That man wasn’t playing. He had a knife at Stacy’s throat.’

After seeing them inside he and Nell walked back to the big house.

Angus fiddled around as she made them a cup of coffee, unable to settle, worrying about his houses and not liking the thought of Elise being all alone there. ‘I think I’ll go back and keep watch once I’ve drunk this. You stay here.’

‘I suppose you’ll kick up a fuss if I try to come too,’ Nell said.