‘I have no proof,’ he said with finality. ‘That is the problem.’ He walked to the door and held it open.

Burning with disappointment, Kate refused to move at first. ‘Why won’t you help?’

‘I’m sorry you’ve had a wasted trip.’

He was hiding something, she knew it. ‘Why won’t you help?’ she repeated.

He hesitated, and for a moment she thought he was going to buckle.

‘My next patient is here.’ He indicated the way out. ‘If you please.’

Kate saw a young girl, about nine or ten, in the waiting room with her mother. ‘Is she one of them?’

He didn’t answer at first, and she had the feeling he wasn’t going to tell her, then: ‘Yes. She is doing really well. She’s been in remission for a year now.’

‘Well, Arnie isn’t. He’s still waiting for a donor match.’

Dr Zayan put his hand on her arm and firmly pulled her aside, away from the open door. ‘Do not try to tell me how horrific cancer is, how devastating it is for these children,’ he said with a quiet fury. ‘I have seen more than I care to, remember?’

He let go of her arm and she left the room.

Dr Zayan smiled as the woman and her daughter went in. The door closed behind them.

Stupid, stupid, Kate thought. Why had she let herself get emotional? She’d completely messed it up and now her chance had gone. Heavy-hearted, she made her way towards the exit.

‘Excusez-moi?’ Kate turned and saw the receptionist was looking at her sharply. ‘You need to pay, please.’

TWENTY-SEVEN

Tuesday, 31 January 2017 – twenty-four days before the accident

Becky could see him sitting at the table in the window, studying the menu with great concentration. She hesitated; if she was going to bail, now was the time, but then he looked up and the delighted smile of recognition made her blush and her heart sink in equal measure. You’ve made your bed, now lie in it, she told herself and pushed open the door of the bistro.

He stood and was about to take her coat when a waiter beat him to it, and then there was a bit of a delay while they got in their seats, Adam chivalrously not sitting until she had done so, which turned into an awkward display of a badly timed Bavarian knee dance.

‘It’s really good to see you,’ he said, and she brushed aside the niggling uncomfortable feeling she got at the way he didn’t take his eyes off her. ‘You look just the same.’

‘Not older? Wiser?’ she said lightly.

‘It was only six months ago! I’m so glad you got in touch. I tried to call you, after graduation. Got a different person.’

Oh shit, she thought, keeping the smile fixed on her face. ‘I lost my phone,’ she said, and the lame excuse hung mockingly in the air.

There was a faltering silence and then he said, ‘Well, here we are.’ He gestured around the bistro. ‘Lunch!’