Eleanor had told me that Eric had left her for another woman. She told me DS McNab had been to see her. He’d told her to call him if I came to visit. I urged her to do that.

Then he turned up. Walked into the house and pretended to be surprised that I was there. I knew then I was right and he had been trailing me. The only other explanation would be that Eleanor called him and told him I was there. I didn’t want to believe that of my sister.

He was just like before. Friendly, pretending to be concerned because I looked so ill. He was so glad, he said, that Eleanor and I were friends again. He gave me a look at that point. A look I understood perfectly. When I said I felt ill, he offered to take me home. I accepted to get him away from my sister.

She’d been surprised when Eric had appeared, and not altogether happy. There’s something wrong between them.

Getting into the car, I made Jack move into the back seat. Plus I went on talking to him as usual. Eric found that amusing. I could read his mind. He was beginning to think I’d gone a bit mad. So maybe no one would believe anything I said. But could he take that chance?

Or would he decide he couldn’t?

I directed him back to the villa. It felt safer than Rowan Cottage because it was close to Detective McCreadie. I don’t think Eric believed that I lived there, but he didn’t say anything. I hoped Eleanor would call Detective McNab, although I wasn’t certain she would.

Detective McCreadie saved me. I’d picked up the knife when I went back to Rowan Cottage for the car. I thought I’d maybe do a better job on myself next time.

When Eric tried to strangle me, I stuck the knife in his leg, although I was aiming for his crotch. I couldn’t breathe with Eric’s big hands round my neck, and I think I started to pass out, but Detective McCreadie was there at the car window and he saved me.

The next thing I remember is being back in his house with Lucy. He told me Eric was dead. I was glad.

Signed: Karen Marshall

A brief summation of the forensic evidence submitted by Dr Rhona MacLeod establishing Eric Jackson as the killer of Mary McIntyre:

Eric Jackson left his mark forensically in a number of ways. He’d handled Mary’s school jumper, which was found in the woods after her disappearance. Evidence of his recently cut hair was retrieved from the body of Mary McIntyre. Skin and blood under Mary’s fingernails had also come from the accused. The DNA from the cigarette was also a match. The fingerprint extracted from the black bag was Eric Jackson’s.

A brief report as to the circumstances of Eric Jackson’s death:

There might be a dispute as to when Karen drew her knife. Whether she had struck first, before Jackson began to strangle her. However, there was an eye witness, former Detective Inspector McCreadie, who has declared under oath that Karen Marshall was in danger of her life before she struck her assailant in the leg with a kitchen knife.