‘Laughing. When you asked me in the kitchen if I knew anything about it. After everything we’ve been through in the last few weeks I didn’t think anything else could go wrong. And then when I saw the album and the look on your face, I thought, here we bloody go again. I’m going to get accused of something I didn’t do. And I laughed. Not because it was funny but because it seemed like a sick joke. I’m sorry, Claire. I shouldn’t have laughed. It freaked you out.’

‘I’m too tired to talk about this any more.’

‘I know. That’s why I’m going to the pub. Give us both some space.’

I nod. ‘Yeah.’

‘Okay then.’ His gaze lingers on my face. ‘I’ll be back by ten. I’ve got an early start in the morning and—’

He’s interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

I move to stand up but Mark shakes his head.

‘It’s okay. I’ll get it.’

As he disappears into the hallway the chat-show host on the TV skips across the set as though the soles of his feet are on fire. I hear the clatter of plates in the sink and the low rumble of my husband’s voice as he answers the door.

Seconds later a man appears in the doorway to the living room.

‘Hi, Claire,’ says DS Forbes, ‘sorry to call round so late. Mind if I sit down?’

Chapter 28

DS Forbes knows what I did. I can see it in the grave look in his eyes and the tight set of his mouth. He’s come to arrest me for assaulting the cyclist. They reported me, him or the woman in the car that stopped. I need to tell him about the blackout, the one I haven’t told Mark about yet. I’ll tell DS Forbes to talk to Dr Evans. And Liz. She knows what happened. She saw the state I was in when she picked me up. She’ll testify that I wasn’t in my normal state of mind.

‘I didn’t mean to hurt him.’ The words fly out of my mouth before I can stop them.

‘Hurt who?’ DS Forbes takes a step towards me. Mark follows behind him.

‘The cyclist. I didn’t mean to knock him off his bike when I opened my car door. I genuinely didn’t see him.’

‘Claire.’ Mark darts past DS Forbes and joins me on the sofa. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me in to his side. ‘DS Forbes is here to talk about Billy. He’s got news.’

‘Billy! Oh my God.’ My hands fly to my mouth.

A cold chill runs through me and a thousand goosebumps prickle on the surface of my skin. It’s bad news. I can tell by the look on DS Forbes’s face. In his eyes.