‘Rory called me from school a couple of days ago. He sounded very upset.’

‘Really? He seemed fine when I saw him at the choir concert in chapel last Friday. He went straight off on Saturday morning for the Independent Schools Choir Festival, so I haven’t had a chance to see him since. What did he say to you on the phone?’

‘Something about nobody being there to protect him.’ David took another slug of the wine and topped up his glass. ‘I don’t know what he meant, do you?’

‘No. I’ve really no idea, David.’ Angelina’s brow furrowed in concern.

‘I went to try and find him last Friday night but he wasn’t there.’

‘That’s because he was singing in chapel, David.’

‘Then I left messages for the head and that tosser of a housemaster at Fleat. No one returned my calls. So I went to the school again this morning and demanded to see Rory, but the bastard head refused. Jesus! I get so damned frustrated.’ David drained his glass and refilled it.

Angelina thought how the head would have viewed David: drunk and aggressive, storming into the school and demanding to see his son.

‘I’m going to call Fleat House as soon as you’ve left, check he’s all right. And he’s coming home in a day’s time. I can talk to him then.’

‘Please, Angie, could you not make the call now?’

‘I’ll do it as soon as you’ve left. And I promise to call you, really. Now, David, I—’

‘The head said he’d ask Frederiks to make sure Rory phones me tonight, but, on past performance, I wouldn’t bank on it.’ David was pacing unsteadily. ‘I know in my bones something’s wrong. Promise you’ll call?’

‘Of course I will,’ she answered gently. ‘I promise.’

‘Do you think he’s been bullied?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe it could be to do with the death of that boy who died of an epileptic fit at the school?’

‘I really don’t know, but we must find out.’ David stopped pacing, turned to stare at her. ‘Look, I know how wrong things have gone, Angie, but at the very least, surely we owe it to Rory to try and communicate on some level?’

Angelina nodded. ‘Yes.’ She glanced at her watch again, then stood up, momentary harmony replaced with urgency. ‘I’m expecting a guest any minute. I think it’s best you leave.’

He looked at her sadly. ‘Of course you do.’ David suddenly crashed his glass onto the table. ‘Don’t fit in here looking like this, do I? Pissed, desperate . . . You never did like anything out of control, did you, Angie?’

‘David, please, don’t.’

‘Don’t what? Tell you the truth? What exactly was it I did wrong, Angie? I was kind, thoughtful, never unfaithful, I bought you the house of your dreams . . .’

‘I think you should leave. I—’

‘I loved you, tried to give you everything you wanted . . .’ He walked to the mantelpiece and picked up a figurine. ‘Do you remember me buying you this? It was our . . . sixth anniversary and I spent a fortune on it.’ He put it back on the mantelpiece where it balanced precariously near the edge. ‘All I ever wanted to do was to make you and Rory happy.’