‘I saw something in your eyes as we spoke, mon ami. Some understanding of who I might be. And I realized that my fate was no longer in my own hands. You asked me to wait as you drove away. I think I understand where you are heading. Perhaps I should have shouted out and told you the truth but in the end, my life and my death have never been mine to dictate. You have gone to fetch him. Favre. Mr Parker, as you call him. And when he returns you will see who he truly is. You will see whether he is the man he pretends to be now, or the man he was.

‘I am leaving you this confession to help you deal with whatever comes next. Your young friend, Pike. He caught me hanging around the church. I don’t know who he thought I was but he believed me to be chasing his possessions. He hit me. Left me bloodied. My tooth fell onto the dirty stone. But as I sit here, I feel a peace I have not felt in a long time. My judgement is beyond my control. And there is a comfort to be found in that.

‘Thank you for your hospitality and friendship, Fairfax. This morning I did not know you but now I believe I have found a man who will be a safe place for what I know. Favre is Parker. He is a cruel and terrible man. Whatever you do with this knowledge, you have my blessing. And if our paths cross again, I hope you will embrace me as a brother and without regret. Thank you Fairfax. Au revoir.’

The recording clicked off after that. And I just stood there. Stood listening to the pans on the stove and the hissing of the fat and the drone of the bishop. His words had been drowned out by the confession of Marcel Defouloy – a good man who had been murdered by the same monster who had tortured him all those years before. Tortured him until he made up a lie that would cost hundreds of innocents their lives.

Cordelia.

I think I said her name aloud. Suddenly, nothing mattered more than being by her side. The Parkers were her neighbours. She was all alone up there. Alone in the world.

I was running down the hill towards the village before I’d even made up my mind to go. I left the pans rattling on the stove. Left the turkey cooking and the sermon droning on. I left the Dictaphone on the counter. I wanted to fetch her and bring her home. Wanted her to be safe with me and mine as we made the call to the police and finally made sense of it all.

I ran like the bloody wind.

CORDELIA