Twenty minutes later, the harsh light of the hospital corridor hurt my eyes as Phyllis and I sat staring wordlessly at the examination room door, waiting for it to open. I’d called Mary at the B & B and left a message for Jude to come to the hospital as soon as possible. I’d also texted Molloy.

As I sat there looking around me, at the sterile green and grey walls, I was sharply aware that we were in the same hospital as Bob Jameson’s body, lying in a freezer downstairs still awaiting a post-mortem. I’d seen the sign for the morgue on the way in when we’d followed the gurney into the little community hospital, and it had given me a shiver.

I hoped to God that Lissa wasn’t about to join him. She hadn’t yet regained consciousness. Phyllis and I had watched helplessly while Harry had given her oxygen and adrenaline and arranged for the ambulance to take her in. I was feeling huge pangs of guilt. Lissa Bennett had come to me for help and I had done nothing, just let the whole thing sit while I hoped she would confide in her father or the guards. I’d been feeling guilty about breaking Mary’s confidence and so I’d kept Lissa’s. It looked as if I’d kept the wrong secret.

I shifted around on the hard plastic seat trying and failing to get comfortable, so I stood up to pace up and down the corridor. What the hell had happened to her since she’d spoken to me? She hadn’t replied to my text, although that of itself didn’t mean anything. Was it possible her husband had something to do with this? Was Barbour-jacket man her husband? And if so, why had Derek attacked him?

Suddenly the outer door burst open and Jude and his other daughter Sue came running in. Sue had Lissa’s toddler in her arms as usual. Their eyes were wide and panicked.

“What happened?” Jude demanded, his face taut. “Where is she?”

I tried to explain as best I could, while Phyllis intervened with calming words, her hand on Jude’s arm. His face fell when I told him what had happened, but along with the shock there was recognition, I was sure of it.

The door to Lissa’s hospital room opened and Harry and a nurse came out. Harry said something to the nurse and she headed off down the corridor, while he came over to our little group.

“How is she?” Jude asked. “Will she be okay?”

Harry looked questioningly at him.

“I’m her father.”

“Okay,” Harry said calmly. “Well, she’s asleep but she’s stable. She’s on a drip.” He paused as if to let Jude take it in. “She’s taken some sort of a depressant, a sedative.”