‘Certainly we shouldn’t check on it so regularly. I see little point. But we can go maybe once a day and pick up her post for her. Frankly, I’m doing much better on my observations of Linden Road Village Store. I’m finding patterns in the times Kelvin Smith’s “clients” visit. Something is most certainly going on there, but I don’t want to intervene too soon. I still don’t know exactly what kind of illegal goods he’s handling.’ She smiled. ‘But I will.’

‘Sounds good, sweetheart. If only I could find a way to be of help to Will I’d feel much happier about everything.’

Before she could answer, they heard the house phone ringing. Matt jumped up and hurried back indoors, returning a few moments later to say that Will was at the end of his tether. ‘He wants me to contact Sam Page, Liz. He wants to talk to him personally. I think he wants Sam to see Kate.’

‘Oh dear.’ Liz exhaled. ‘That’s the first time he’s said anything like that. Things must be pretty dire.’

‘I think that’s an understatement. I’ll ring Sam, then drive down there, if that’s okay with you?’

She nodded. ‘Shall I come too?’

‘Maybe not this time, darling. I’ll sound out the situation first.’

Liz didn’t say so, but she was quite relieved not to have to face the mercurial Kate. ‘Take care, and remember, we can’t mend everything that’s been broken.’

‘But we have to try, don’t we?’

Liz smiled. In her opinion, this particular item was damaged beyond repair.

* * *

In the two days since his unannounced visitors had turned up, Will had been in hell. He had spent a good part of that time doubting his own sanity.

Kate had stayed in her studio. She refused to reply to his constant requests to talk, or even to eat. The first day, he left her food on a tray outside her door, as he had done in the past, but she would only accept the occasional drink. The second day he left nothing, hoping that hunger would drive her out. She remained where she was. If she drank anything, it must have been water from the bathroom tap, as she certainly never went downstairs. At night, she waited until he got into bed, and then drifted like a wraith into the darkened room, slipped beneath the covers and turned her back to him.

On this particular day, he was desperate enough to ring Matt from the house, no longer caring if she heard him or not. Matt had said he would be there within the hour.

Will made a sandwich and a pot of coffee and carried it upstairs. He set the tray down outside the studio door and called out softly that he’d brought her something to eat. As he turned to walk away, he heard a perfunctory, ‘Thank you.’