‘You’re coming now?’ Peter said, his voice narcotically slow and calm.

‘I am, yes. The police called me.’ I paused, gathered my thoughts. ‘I want you to know that I’m with you, do you understand? We can get you through this.’ I swerved out of my lane to pass a taxi. A horn blared. My palm ached, clutching the wheel.

‘Where are you?’

‘I’m in my car right now, driving to your apartment. No one is going to blame you for this, no one is going to lock you up.’

‘I can’t. I— ’ A heavy pause, and I wondered what he might have taken. Doctors had a habit of over-prescribing sedatives, SSRIs, sleep aids; his bathroom cupboard was a pharmacy.

‘What? Peter? You can’t what?’

‘I can’t continue with this. I can’t. You lied to me, Margot.’

‘Peter. You have value. You are loved.’ I didn’t want to mention his family but I had to. ‘You have a child.’ And an ex-girlfriend who is pregnant, I could have added. ‘You have a father and a mother who both love you.’

‘They’re going to lock me away. You’re working with them. It’s never been about me, has it? I love—.’

‘—No,’ I cut him off. ‘No, Peter. This isn’t about me. This is about you. You can’t depend on me to feel happy and calm. But I’m here to help. I promised you and I keep my promises to patients.’

‘Patients,’ he said.

I might as well have said customers. ‘You know what I mean – the people I see.’ I was thinking of how to keep him on the line, keep him talking, when he spoke again.

‘You did this to me, Margot. You did this.’

The line cut out as I got close. I checked my phone to make sure the call was recorded then I rang him again, but it went straight to voicemail. He’d turned the phone off.

‘Well,’ Gabe says, snapping me back to the moment. ‘What can we do?’

‘If you knew some of the things this person told me, Gabe, some of the clues – then you would understand. The police are looking at anyone visiting the clinic, so hopefully they will check him out.’

He lowers himself onto the edge of the bed and folds his arms. ‘Okay, well I just hope you know what you’re doing.’

‘I have an obligation to report serious crimes to the police, but only if I believe that a client’s confession is credible. I know I shouldn’t speculate, but all the evidence is pointing to this person.’

‘Say it is this guy. What if he knows where we’re staying?’

‘I’ve been paying attention. Even if this Raze is my client and he has the IP address here, it doesn’t mean he has the street address.’