Neil said, ‘No, you won’t. She needs someone with first-aid training with her just in case.’ He looked up at Jo. ‘Beth paid for me to be first-aid trained.’

That explained his dexterity with the roll of bandage he was now swaddling Val’s head with. Malc couldn’t hide his disappointment, but he acquiesced quickly enough once he heard the explanation. She’d always suspected he harboured a bit of a soft spot for Val, and it seemed she might have been right.

Val, who thankfully now looked to have considerably more colour in her cheeks than Jo felt as if she had in hers at that moment, dug Neil swiftly in the ribs.

‘What was that for?’

‘I am here, y’know.’

Jo deposited herself into a chair, for fear she might fall down again. Her head still felt like cotton wool.

She must have inadvertently touched her hand to her head because Val said, ‘Are you alright, Jo?’

‘I’m fine. I just passed out, that’s all.’ She felt their collective eyes on her awaiting an explanation. ‘It’s the blood, OK. It’s just the blood.’

Even saying the word was making her feel woozy. And she was studiously avoiding looking at the sticky red substance splattered across the tabletop in front of her.

She said, ‘But Neil’s right, Val, we need to get you checked out at a hospital.’

Val protested, ‘Rubbish, I’ll be fine. Can’t you just give me the once-over, Jo? I’ve got to pick the kids up from school.’

Jo said, ‘Don’t worry about the kids, we’ll sort something out. And I’m strictly bones only. I wouldn’t even want me treating me. Besides, you’ve just seen what happened. I’d probably hit the deck again if I tried.’

Val’s chuckle was cut short by a wince.

Thrusting his hand into his pocket, Neil flung Malcolm his car keys. ‘Can you bring my car round, Malc, while I finish bandaging Val’s head?’

Malc nodded and was out through the door almost before Neil had finished the sentence.

Jo watched as Neil expertly cocooned Val’s head in swathes of bandage. ‘Did you see what happened, Neil?’

Neil shook his head. ‘I didn’t, but it’s pretty clear what did the damage.’ He inclined his head towards the corner of the office where a large red brick lay on the glass-strewn lino with what appeared to be a piece of brown paper wrapped round it.

Neil said, ‘Have a word with Malc. He reckons he saw someone chuck it. He was on his way down here when it happened.’

‘But why would anyone do it?’ Jo nodded towards the brick. ‘That thing could have killed one of us.’

Neil glanced down at Val and hesitated before replying. ‘It’s like I told Clare, we need to get done and dusted here. It’s dangerous working at Bailsgrove.’