“I mean it, Jane.” He holds me at arm’s length and looks intently at me. “Promise me that you’ll call me if anything happens, no matter how trivial. I don’t want you keeping it to yourself and stressing yourself out. You don’t have to do that any more. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Promise.”

“I promise.”

He smiles and turns to go, then wavers and turns back. “I should stay. Just say the word, Jane, and I’ll cancel the holiday.”

“You’ll do no such thing. You deserve this break. And imagine how disappointed Chloe will be if you cancel right at the last minute. It wouldn’t be fair on her.”

“I know, but …”

“Please, Will. Go. I’ll be fine, and I promise I’ll call if anything happens.”

“Really?”

“Really. Now, please, go before I drive you there myself!”

“Okay, okay.” His face sags with relief and he stoops to kiss me.

I wave him goodbye as he ambles towards his car, the taste of his goodbye kiss still on my lips, then go back into the cottage and close the door behind me. I lock it twice – first with the Yale, then with the deadbolt. I wasn’t lying when I told him that I didn’t want to be scared any more, but that doesn’t make me an idiot. I still need to be careful. What I didn’t tell him when I mentioned the half dozen times I’ve cycled down the lane from work was the number of times I glanced over my shoulder, or how, whenever I heard a car behind me, I jumped off my bike and pressed myself into the bushes.

I haven’t heard from Angharad since our conversation in the car park. When she didn’t show up for work the next day, I told Sheila that Angharad wouldn’t be volunteering any more. Sheila wanted to know why but, before I could reply, the phone rang. It was the police. They’d had a tip-off that Gary’s cousin was responsible for the break-in and, when they searched his flat, they found the petty cash tin from reception. Sheila was so relieved that she announced she was going to take a week off. She’d been putting off going away, just in case the police needed to ask her anything more, and now she was going to “bloody well enjoy a week off in the Lakes”. She didn’t ask me any more about Angharad, and the conversation moved on. I’ll tell her what really happened when she gets back. Of course, there’s a risk that Angharad will publish her article before then, but I’ll deal with that when, or if, it happens.