‘Did anything happen yesterday evening to make you especially upset or anxious before you went to bed? Was your partner with you?’

‘As you suggested, I spoke to my mother. She told me she had always been terrified for my safety when I tried to open windows or wandered off outside. She said that nothing else frightened her apart from that.’ He looked down at his feet. ‘I think there was something else, but she wouldn’t say what it was. I’ve told Julia not to spend the night for a while. I . . . I’m scared I could hurt her, Dr Archer. I’ve read about people hurting others in their sleep. My grandfather had shellshock, and he had nightmares he couldn’t wake up from. Once, he tried to strangle his wife because he thought she was an enemy soldier. That really scared me, which is why I told Julia to stay away.’

‘Those thoughts will have preyed on your mind and prevented you from getting proper rest. Having to send your partner away puts stress on you and your relationship. Have you considered giving either Julia or your mother your car keys, so you can’t drive?’

He pulled a face. ‘I still haven’t told Mother about that. We only spoke of my sleepwalking as a thing of the past, one of those stories from childhood you tell each other. If I gave her the keys, she would know I was driving. I don’t want that. It wouldn’t be fair on her.’

‘It wouldn’t be fair on her either if you were injured or even killed in a car crash,’ Laura said. ‘You really should share this with her, Mr Shields. I urge you to do so.’

‘Dr Archer, if this keeps on getting worse, is there somewhere I could go to be treated, somewhere safe? I don’t have a great deal of money, but I would be willing to spend some of my savings if it meant I could be cured.’

‘I can make enquiries for you, Mr Shields. The situation is clearly having a detrimental effect on your mental health, but we need to find somewhere with counsellors who have experience in this disorder. I will shortly be meeting an eminent psychologist who specialises in somnambulism. I’ll put it to him and see what he suggests.’

‘Thank you! I knew you’d help me.’ He stood up. ‘I’m sorry to have taken up your time. You’ve been very kind, and I apologise for just arriving like I did, Dr Archer. I was at my wits’ end.’

‘I’ll see you on Friday then, and you can meet Professor Page. Meanwhile, I’ll look around for a suitable clinic.’