Inwardly Clara cursed herself for not muting her mobile before Emily arrived. She felt sure that she’d been about to tell her something. ‘I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Emily, please—’

‘You should answer it,’ insisted Emily, turning away.

Clara shook her head and took hold of her hand. ‘No, Emily. Please talk to me.’

Emily only stared at her, her expression unreadable. The phone rang off. ‘You should see who that was,’ she said. ‘It might be important – the police, or …’

Knowing she was defeated, Clara nodded and went to her bag. ‘It was Tom,’ she said in surprise when she looked at her phone. Just then a bleep signalled a voicemail message and she put it to her ear. ‘Clara?’ Tom’s voice was harried. ‘I’m in London. I need to speak to you. I tried looking for you at Mac’s but I guess you must be at your place. I’m coming over. I’ll be there in half an hour.’

She frowned, staring down at her phone. ‘That was Tom, he’s on his way over. I wonder what he—’

But Emily had already snatched up her coat and was making for the door. ‘I have to go.’

As Clara stared at her in surprise she scrabbled with the door handle. ‘Emily, calm down!’ she said, going to her. ‘It’s all right. Let me do it, I—’

The look of panicked desperation Emily shot her stopped Clara in her tracks. ‘You won’t tell him, will you, Clara?’ she begged. ‘You won’t tell Tom I was here? Please, Clara, you must promise.’

‘Of course I won’t. I promise, hey, Emily, calm down. I won’t tell—’

But Emily was already out of the flat and heading for the stairs, the hood of her jacket pulled up high around her face.

‘Emily, wait!’ Clara called, but there was no reply. She watched until she disappeared, waiting until she heard the main door slam below before she went back into her flat. She stood, stunned, her heart thumping, then sank on to the sofa. The expression on Emily’s face when she realized Tom was on his way had been one of pure terror. Her thoughts raced, remembering now the scene she’d witnessed at The Willows, Rose so cowed, so defeated as Tom had towered over her. Then she recalled how Mac had told her Tom had gone off the rails after Emily left, getting involved in drugs and drink and a bad crowd. And Mac had said something else, too – that Rose and Oliver had become so protective of Luke they wouldn’t leave him alone in the house – not even if Tom was there. Her unease deepened. Had it, in fact, been Tom they’d been protecting Luke from?