What was she supposed to say in response to that question? That since returning to work she’d gone to bed in tears two nights in a row? That she’d needed both alcohol and pills to help her sleep and to keep her feeling close to sane? That she’d seen a mysterious shadowy figure at a window at a murder scene? That last night she’d thought she was being stalked by the same or possibly another shadowy figure that may or may not have really been there? That she’d nearly had a full-blown panic attack over that?

Of course she wasn’t fucking ok.

‘Yeah. It feels good to be back,’ Dani said.

‘I saw you on TV the other night.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Can’t be easy being put straight back into the limelight. Especially on a murder investigation.’

Dani shrugged. ‘That’s my job.’

Scholz said nothing to that, just sat and studied Dani for a few moments. Their sessions together had blown hot and cold over the past few months. Sometimes Dani would remain placid, almost detached, just trying to stay calm and compliant so that she could get the session over without raising any questions in Scholz’s mind. Other sessions became more heated, with Dani defensive and up for a fight over what she felt was Scholz’s and the police’s agenda of trying to make her out to be goods damaged beyond repair.

Today Dani was strongly hoping she could keep calm. She simply wanted to ride over this and get out in one piece, then get on with the day ahead.

‘Have you been taking your medication?’ Scholz asked.

And then some, Dani thought, but she didn’t say it. ‘Just as the doctor ordered.’

‘That’s good. Often patients struggle a little at first when we reduce the dosages. So taking less hasn’t caused you any problems? Heightened sadness? Anxiety attacks? Anything like that?’

Reduced dosage? Well, about that…

‘Believe me, not every day is a party, but I think I’m doing ok, under the circumstances.’

After that, the conversation got down into the nitty-gritty of Dani’s life over the last few days, but particularly how she had been impacted by being back at work. The session was going quite well, Dani thought. Then Scholz raised the subject of Jason. He asked how Dani had coped with seeing her former lover for the first time in months. She clammed up from there. Jason was far from the cause of her problems, but the subject of their failed relationship was still one of the sorest, and saddest, in her mind, even if it was she who’d ended it – and it felt particularly raw after last night.

‘I’d really like you to try something for me, for the next phase of our therapy,’ Scholz said.

Our therapy?

‘Try what?’ Dani asked, hoping they were moving on from talking about Jason.