‘What we shouldn’t do is panic,’ he said. ‘Sullivan is wanted in connection with a murder and he’s on the run. Like I said to you before, he’s got enough on his plate to keep him busy. I really don’t think he’ll bother to show his face here.’

‘But that might not stop him from sending someone else to do his dirty work for him.’

James knew that she was right and that it was going to be necessary to take some precautions.

‘Look, I’ll talk to Tanner and arrange for a unit to be stationed outside the house until we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with. And just to be on the safe side, you should probably avoid going out for a couple of days.’

Annie’s face suddenly took on a fiery intensity and her hands clenched into fists on the table.

‘This is totally ridiculous, James. That man is the reason we moved here, and even now, more than a year on, he still poses a threat. We can’t go on like this.’

‘I know that Annie, but at least we now know what he’s been up to so that when he’s eventually caught, he can be confronted with it and we’ll have him. Meanwhile, we just have to be careful. And short of moving again there’s not much else we can do.’

James was suddenly glad that he’d had a state-of-the-art burglar alarm fitted in the house with security cameras at the front and back that were linked to their mobile phones. It gave him a modicum of comfort.

He got up and walked around the table to his wife. She looked up at him, her eyes moist. He felt his heart swell as he cupped her face in his hands.

‘I won’t let him or anyone else harm you, Annie,’ he said. ‘I promise. But you have to do your best to remain calm and strong for both our sakes and for the baby’s.’

As Annie began to cry, he eased her to her feet and held her in his arms. She was still sobbing as he led her into the living room and planted her on the sofa.

‘Try to relax while I go and call my boss,’ he said. ‘I’ll make you a tea whilst I’m at it.’

Back in the kitchen he called Tanner and put him in the picture.

‘I’ll arrange for a car to come straight there and stay all night, James,’ he said. ‘That won’t be a problem, and we can talk tomorrow about what we do longer term. But I need to know if this will hinder your ability to continue with the Oaktree Farm investigation. If so, I can take over as SOI.’