The only silver lining was that Winter was safely out of the way and focused on Bellows. He wouldn’t try any heroics to take my place. He wouldn’t get hurt. He wouldn’t even know until it was too late.

I massaged my neck and got behind the wheel, the interior light illuminating the inside of Barry’s car. As I started up the engine, I found the contact number I needed.

‘Hello! You have reached Julia’s voicemail. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.’

Arse. ‘Julia, it’s Ivy. I know there’s patient confidentiality and all that stuff to deal with but I need you to confirm something for me. I’m seriously concerned about Gareth McAllan, the man you referred to another psychiatrist for me. I think he’s a danger both to himself and others. Any insight your friend could give me would be useful. If you hear this message in the next hour then call me straight away. If you’re listening to this in the morning, well, don’t worry.’

There wasn’t really much else to say. I hung up. It was time to face the enemy.

Chapter Twenty-One

It took longer to find the main farmhouse than I thought it would. I circled round the area several times before I finally spotted the narrow lane leading up to it. Passing a few fields, each one containing the shadows of more sheep than I dared to count, I drove up and parked right in front of the door. It seemed sensible to have a quick getaway should I need one.

I took a deep breath, pulled my shoulders back and got out. My fingers were twitching to perform as many defensive runes as I could while I had the chance. I reminded myself that I might need to conserve my energy and simply played possible scenarios in my head so I was prepared. Then I knocked loudly on the door. Waiting outside wasn’t my usual modus operandi but I was trying to be cautious for once in my life.

A harassed looking woman with a lined face, who I reckoned was in her forties, answered. I couldn’t see any resemblance to Gareth but she still looked oddly familiar. Maybe she just had one of those faces.

Without smiling, I introduced myself and got to the point. ‘I need to see Gareth. Now.’

‘Gareth?’ Her face scrunched up as if she didn’t have the faintest idea who I was talking about. ‘What do you want him for? Do you know what time it is?’

‘It’s an emergency.’ And then, because I thought it might help, I added, ‘I’m a good friend of his.’

Her lip curled. ‘He’s got friends?’

‘If you could just tell him I’m here…’

‘He’s not in.’ She made to close the door but I wedged my foot in to stop her.

‘Where is he?’

‘One of the sheep has run off. Again. He’s gone after it. Fool boy can’t keep them in one place.’ She seemed to take perverse pleasure in his failures. All the same, my blood chilled.