‘I realise that. Would it be possible to see the place? Mum didn’t have any pictures to show me.’

That didn’t surprise Ed; there weren’t any.

‘No problem. I could drive you over there now, but we won’t be able to go inside.’

‘Because?’

‘Because the house is occupied; we have a family living there. It’s part of the contract that only the tenant or tenants will enter the house, unless of course we find out that something untoward is going on. Then the agreement no longer applies.’

Therese glanced at her watch.

‘Okay, I’ve got time now – let’s go.’

*

The stillness in the glade where The Sanctuary was located was always overwhelming. No cars, no people, only the forest and the land and the animals that belonged there. As Ed and Therese got out of the car they caught a glimpse of two roe deer.

‘Fantastic!’ Therese exclaimed.

She inhaled deeply, almost as if she were tasting the fresh air.

‘Will you be all right on your own when it’s dark?’ Ed wondered.

‘I think so.’

The sky was overcast, but there was no wind. On the whole it was quite a pleasant day.

‘Couldn’t we ring the bell, ask if they’d mind letting us in?’

Ed looked at the closed front door. ‘No.’

The house was in darkness; there appeared to be no lights on, which worried Ed. If the family had already moved out, he should have been informed. Maybe it would be a good idea to ring the bell after all? Check things out? Then he thought about the tenants and their history. The man who’d rented The Sanctuary had told Ed how much his daughter had suffered, how abusive her husband had been. It was of the utmost importance that she and her children were allowed to rest, to feel safe.

Apparently they would be able to return to normality in the autumn.

‘You know how difficult it is to secure a conviction for that kind of behaviour,’ the man had said. ‘Women aren’t safe even if they get away in time. Because there’s no such thing as “in time” for them.’

Ed knew exactly what the man was talking about, and was happy to help. However, he couldn’t help wondering what kind of life the tenants were living. He came over regularly just to make sure that everything was okay, but the family never seemed to go outside. Not the leaseholder’s daughter, nor her children or her new partner. They were always indoors. Ed couldn’t understand it.

‘There’s a lake a few hundred metres away,’ he told Therese. ‘I can show you the way through the forest if you feel like a walk.’

She nodded, and Ed set off through the tall trees. Therese followed; after a couple of minutes she laughed and commented that it wouldn’t be easy to find the way back.