Her eyes widened. ‘Jesus. What did the doctors—?’

‘It’s only a scrape,’ he said, waving her concern away. ‘I’m far more worried about you. Anderson said you’re going to be OK, but how do you feel?’

‘I’m so scared, Mac. Who’d want to kill me, or hurt you? Who the fuck is doing this to us?’

He took the seat Anderson had vacated and put his face in his hands, taking a long breath. ‘I wish I knew,’ he said at last. Reaching over, he squeezed her hand. ‘Tell me about the fire. What happened exactly?’

So she described how she’d woken to billowing smoke, the sight of Alison looming over her. ‘Anderson said she saved me, but who on earth started it?’ When he shrugged helplessly she asked, ‘And how about you? Do you have any idea who hit you? Did you see who it was?’

‘No. I was standing in the kitchen with my back to the door. It all happened so quickly. I had music playing, the kettle was boiling, whoever it was crept up behind me …’ Tiredly he ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I’ve been back to my flat, it’s a right state.’

She leaned forward. ‘Was anything missing? I think whoever it was must have taken the key to my flat, that’s how they got in. It was in my bag in your spare room. Did it look like someone had been through it?’

He shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Everything was a complete mess, but I’ll check when I get back.’

‘And nothing of yours was taken?’

‘My Leica’s missing – you know the one I take everywhere with me? Why, out of all the expensive kit I’ve got in my flat, they’d only take that, I’ve no idea.’

She hesitated. ‘Look, this is going to sound crazy, but I think it’s Tom. I think Tom did all this.’

His eyes widened in surprise. ‘Tom? Why?’

Quickly she told him about Emily’s visit, the panic and fear she’d seen on her face when Tom had called to say he was on his way over. ‘She had the most awful scars on her back,’ she said, shuddering as she remembered Emily’s disfigured skin. ‘She said it had happened before she left home all those years ago. Mac, I think Tom’s got something to do with why she’s too scared to go back to her family. The look on her face when she thought he was coming over – seriously, she was absolutely terrified. And before, when my flat got broken into, Tom turned up straight afterwards, out of the blue. Then he called me and said he’d been around to yours the morning you were attacked. He’s been in London every single time something weird or awful has happened. Surely that’s got to be more than a coincidence?’