She’s bounced back to full health with irritating speed. If it wouldn’t negatively affect my patient mortality numbers, I’d strangle the girl myself.

When I come back downstairs after a brief cold shower – not by choice: Harper has used all the hot water – she’s in the hallway waiting for me.

‘Can we talk?’ she says. ‘It’s important.’

‘I’m running late,’ I say, picking up my keys. ‘Maybe when I get home. Unless you’re not feeling well?’

‘Oh, no, I’m fine. My scar’s a bit itchy, but I feel, like, basically back to normal.’

‘Good. Tell Tom I’ll be—’

‘It was Stacey in the car,’ she says.

I close the front door again. I don’t need to ask her which car. ‘Are you sure?’

‘She looked right at me,’ Harper says. ‘She knows I saw her.’

I digest this for a moment. I’m not entirely sure I believe her, though I certainly believe Stacey capable of ramming her car into a young woman with two small boys at home without a second thought. But Harper has a pliable relationship with the truth, and it may suit her to position herself on #TeamMillie for now. There’s no better way to do that than to find a common foe: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

But the only way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.

‘Why didn’t you tell the police this?’ I ask.

‘Because it’s her word against mine. She’s Stacey Porter. She’s a national treasure. Everyone loves her. Who’s going to believe me?’

‘You told me you didn’t know who was in that car,’ I say.

‘I was still figuring things out,’ Harper says. ‘I wasn’t sure if I could trust you.’

‘You realise you’ve just put my family at risk?’ I demand. ‘If she decides to come after you again. She’s not some random stranger. She knows you’re staying with me. She knows where I live.’

‘I find it interesting,’ Harper says, ‘that you don’t have any trouble believing me about Stacey.’

‘I find it’s always easy to believe the worst of people,’ I say dryly.

‘It wasn’t Felix in the car with her,’ Harper says.

‘Then who was it?’

‘I don’t know,’ she says honestly. ‘It all happened in a split second. I was sitting at the lights when I saw the car coming right at me, and I just saw a glimpse of Stacey behind the wheel, and someone next to her – I don’t even know if was a man or a woman, but I know it wasn’t Felix. Too short, wrong profile. Next thing I know I’m waking up in hospital feeling like I’ve got a baby elephant sitting on my chest.’