‘It’s worse than you realise, Jane. She screams and throws things at me. She goes berserk about silly little things that don’t really matter. I dread going home after work – I’m even sleeping in the spare room.’

Jane was shocked. She knew Pam could be bolshie and hot-headed at times, but she hadn’t noticed any drastic changes in her behaviour. She wondered if Pam was depressed, suffering in silence and keeping her feelings from the rest of the family.

‘I’m not going to tell Pam. Whether or not you do is your decision, but like I said, the pair of you need to talk. Try and get her to speak to her doctor about her depression. He may be able to prescribe some medication that will help or arrange some form of counselling.’

‘I promise I’ll do what I can to help her.’

‘You can ring me at home any time if you want advice or just need someone to talk to.’

‘Thanks, Jane. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Do you think I’ll be charged later and then released?’

‘DS Boon seems a fair man to me. I’m confident he will look at all the evidence and re-interview the complainant before making a final decision, which means you’ll be released on police bail pending further enquiries. However, if she sticks to her story, it’s your word against hers, and our solicitors’ department may feel you should be charged. Then it’s up to a jury to decide who’s telling the truth. Hopefully it won’t come to that.’

‘Should I wait and see what happens before telling Pam?’

‘That’s up to you. But even friends may let the cat out of the bag unintentionally, so even if the allegation is withdrawn, Pam might still find out. My advice would be to go back to your friend Noel’s house first and take some time to reflect on what’s happened before you go home to Pam.’

‘I promise I won’t ever look at another woman again.’

Jane smiled. ‘It’s all right to look, Tony.’

She gave him a hug and closed the cell door as she left him to think about what he was going to tell Pam.

Chapter Twenty-One

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

It was 4 a.m. Saturday by the time an exhausted Jane got home. She didn’t even bother to undress, and after setting the alarm for 7 a.m., she collapsed on her bed then fell into a deep sleep.