I had to say what was really worrying me, crazy as it would seem. ‘Dr Holt . . . this is going to sound really weird, but I think his wife – Patrick’s wife – she might be someone I know. I mean, this woman rented the house next door to us a while ago. We became friends.’ I spilled out the story of finding the pill packet in your house, seeing your picture in Nora’s bedroom. The weird things that were happening. He watched me patiently, trying to understand.

‘You’re sure it’s not just a similar name, someone who looked like him?’

‘I know how it sounds. I know I seem . . .’ I didn’t want to say the word. I thought about my visit to my GP, the fact it was now on record that I’d been hallucinating, imagining things. ‘I . . . maybe it’s nothing.’

He was looking at me with concern. ‘Would someone really do that? Move next door to you?’

‘I don’t know. I know it sounds insane.’ I was almost doubting myself now. Had it really been your picture in her house? It was dark, and I wasn’t in my most rational mind. Was it really such strong evidence? Nora and Eleanor – were those even the same name?

‘You should go to the police, if you’re worried.’

I stared down at my dirty cup. I couldn’t go to the police – that would be admitting I’d been in your car that day. I was trapped.

He hesitated. ‘Suzi . . . the stuff with your burglar alarm, the music. Is your husband . . .? I’m so sorry to ask this, but I have a duty of care. You seem scared. And this . . .’ Gently, he touched my wrist, the shading of the bruise where I’d caught it against Nora’s door, and instinctively I jumped back, drew it into the sleeve of my coat. What if Nick somehow found out I was here in a café with an attractive man, letting him touch my hand? But all I could see in his eyes was concern. ‘Are you sure there’s not something else going on?’

‘Oh no, nothing like that. He’d never lay a hand on me.’ But I was scared, wasn’t I? So much that I could hardly sit still, or focus on a task for more than five minutes. I was afraid of Nick finding out, yes, but I wasn’t actually afraid of him. Was I?