Arthur’s frowned deepened. “I don’t get why it was so important to him,” he said.

Lizzie sighed. She felt deflated. “No,” she said. “Maybe I’m wrong then. It just seemed significant, and I thought I should tell you.”

Arthur’s phone pinged. “Sorry,” he said, reaching into his pocket. “I should probably take this.” He scrolled through the message quickly. “It’s Anna,” he said. “She says Dudley’s place is like a fortress. The paparazzi are out in force. Apparently, there’s been some story leaked to the press that Dudley is the father of Letty Knollys’s baby.” He looked at Lizzie, brows raised. “Did you know about this?”

Lizzie shook her head. “I’ve no idea if it’s true or not about the baby but apparently they were having an affair. Johnny told me last night that Amelia had hired a PI to follow Dudley and that was how she found out.”

“What a sleaze.” Arthur looked disgusted. “This will make the story of Millie’s death and Johnny’s disappearance even more of a circus.” He put the phone away. “God, I knew Dudley was a self-absorbed shit but really?” He shot Lizzie a sharp glance. “You’re upset,” he said, and it sounded almost like an accusation.

“I’m sad,” Lizzie corrected him. “I’m sad for everyone whose lives Dudley has buggered up so carelessly and I’m sad that I stood by him for so long. I’ve been pretty blind and now I feel stupid.”

“Don’t beat yourself up.” Arthur’s tone had softened. “Dudley’s fooled a lot of people.”

“He was so cute as a kid,” Lizzie said sadly, “and so loyal. But I guess people change.” She drained her coffee mug. “There’s something else,” she said. “Johnny also left this behind, either deliberately or by accident, when he took the stone angel.” She reached up to the bookshelf, where she had left Johnny’s little green notebook. She handled it gingerly but there were no repercussions, no echo of the emotions she had experienced the previous night when she had held it. It was as though its potency had vanished. She passed it to Arthur, making sure their fingers didn’t touch. “I might as well tell you I did try to do a reading on it. I wanted to see if I could find out where Johnny had gone and what was going on with him.”

“And what did you see?” Arthur asked.

“It felt full of energy,” Lizzie said slowly. “Anger and fear and determination. Whatever Johnny wants, wherever he’s gone, he’s desperate. I don’t mean—” She put out a quick hand towards Arthur in reassurance then withdrew it equally quickly. “I don’t mean he planned to take his own life,” she said. “Quite the reverse. There’s something he’s desperate to achieve. It consumes him. But I don’t know what it is.”

Arthur said nothing. His gaze was dark and inward-looking. Lizzie had the impression he was thinking very hard and very quickly, sifting information, considering and rejecting what to tell her. There was something there, a deeply held secret, but she shied away from reading his mind. She had promised she wouldn’t and she wasn’t going to break that promise and undermine the fragile trust they were building.