‘It was an honour to meet you, Kelly Porter.’ He held out his hand for her to take. Something in the way he said her name made her think that he knew something else about her, other than what he’d seen today. Whatever it was, it made Johnny burn with jealousy and he, too, stood up.

‘I’ll walk you out,’ he said firmly.

She almost laughed. She’d never seen Johnny in the primitive protector role that he was presently assuming, and it didn’t suit him. He was green with envy, and well might he be. Glynn ‘The Goat’ Cortantes was a handsome man, with endless eyes and a beautiful smile.

‘I can see myself out, thanks,’ she said.

Johnny’s face dropped, but she wasn’t about to become the focus of some testosterone-fuelled duel. She thanked the landlord and drained her whiskey glass. God, it tasted good.

She walked out into the cold once more and climbed into the back of the squad car, which was lovely and warm.

By the time they pulled into Eden House car park, Kelly was fast asleep, and it was gone midnight.

Chapter 15

Elaine Reilly was escorted through an army of press and ushered into the critical care unit at the Penrith and Lakes hospital. The prime minister had extended his sympathies in person. Donald was an outstanding minister and a great man… Blah, blah, blah. Yes, she knew all of that. It was frankly irrelevant when she had to tell her children what had happened to their father. They’d flown in to Carlisle airport to join her, and they held her hand as they were shown through the stuffy, smelly corridors, reminiscent of when Elaine couldn’t afford private health care. She hadn’t been treated by the NHS in years.