The police had let him go and he was home. ‘Home’, that word again. His home, not hers. She hesitated as her finger hovered over the call button. Didn’t he deserve to tell her his side of the story?

It was then she heard the front door open and someone come in. A male voice, one she didn’t recognize, was talking loudly at Caroline. Might it be her brother, Finn?

Joanne eased open the door and stepped quietly on to the landing.

‘Why is she here?’ the voice was demanding.

Caroline’s low reply was inaudible, so Joanne stepped silently towards the stairs.

At that point Finn came back in with, ‘They’ve let him go. He’ll be back at Beanach by now.’

Again Caroline’s soft reply defied her attempts to hear.

‘Because he didn’t fucking do it!’ Finn was shouting. ‘Now they’ve lifted Josh. Who knows who’ll be next?’ His words sounded more like a threat than a question.

More muttered placating sounds from Caroline. This time Joanne caught the gist of what she was saying about running her to the airport in the morning.

‘Are you mad? You’re not taking her anywhere.’

The words were followed by his footsteps on the stairs. Swiftly merging back into the shadows, Joanne slipped into her room and shut the door. Moments later, it was flung open and Finn’s tall body filled the doorway.

‘Where’s your case? I’m taking you back to Beanach.’

Joanne mustered herself. ‘I’m leaving Blackrig tomorrow morning. Caroline kindly offered to run me to the airport.’

‘Caroline’s taking you nowhere. Greg can run you to the airport. You’re his house guest. Not ours. She had no business bringing you here.’

Suitcase in hand, he pointed to the door. ‘Out, now,’ he ordered.

The sheer fury on his face made her comply. He let her go first on the stairs and, feeling the weight of him right behind her, she kept wondering if he might suddenly choose to send her hurtling down.

Caroline was waiting at the front door, her expression set back to fearful.

‘I’m sorry, Joanne,’ she said. ‘Please be careful up there. Greg—’

‘Shut the fuck up!’ Finn said, pushing her out of the way.

Having swiftly installed Joanne in the car she’d arrived in, he revved the engine and took off. Heading along Main Street, he met the corner onto the single track road with a screech of tyres. Gripping the edge of the seat, Joanne asked him to slow down, but her plea was ignored.

Glancing sideways, she saw his clenched jaw and caught a whiff of what he’d obviously been drinking. She might be worried about returning to Beanach, but she was even more concerned about getting there in one piece.