‘I said I thought you were on a research trip for an article, but I didn’t know where.’ Lucy halted there for a moment as though to gain strength to continue. ‘He asked for your new number. I declined, saying it was up to you to give out your number, not me.’ Her voice faltered a little. ‘He was trying to persuade me in that way he has. Luckily, Paul came to my rescue and politely but firmly sent him packing.’

Joanne was horrified. ‘I’m so sorry. I never thought he’d turn up at your place. Thank God Paul was there.’

‘He’s decided to stay here for a while.’ Lucy didn’t add, ‘in case Richard comes back’, although it was implicit in her tone.

‘He’s determined to find you,’ she went on. ‘Don’t put anything up online that might identify where you are.’ Her voice suggested the warning was in earnest. ‘Not if you don’t want him to turn up there.’

‘I was in two minds whether to do that anyway, for a variety of reasons,’ Joanne said. ‘I don’t want to do anything behind Greg’s back.’

‘So it’s more serious now?’ Lucy said.

‘I don’t know what it is,’ Joanne admitted. She considered mentioning the fact that Aidan Stratton was here and that he’d seen her, but decided not to worry Lucy any more than she was already.

‘Stay safe, please,’ Lucy said as she rang off. ‘And for God’s sake keep your head down. He’ll give up eventually,’ she added, more in hope than certainty.

If only that were true, Joanne thought later as she mulled over her conversation with Lucy with a mug of coffee.

On a positive note, if Richard had come looking for her number from Lucy then the couple of calls to her new mobile had likely been spam. So she could stop worrying about them at least.

But she would have to worry about Aidan Stratton. Richard and Aidan weren’t actually friends – in fact, he’d once expressed his distaste for Aidan to her. However, they did move in similar circles and if they were to encounter one another, she was pretty sure Aidan would say where he’d last seen her.

She had to face up to it. Being spotted by Aidan had been a disaster. She chastised herself for failing to ask about the people staying at the Party House, just in case she might know anyone. Then she would have been more on her guard.

Still, there was nothing she could do about that now.

She thought back to last night and the time she’d spent with Caroline. Things had definitely changed between them during her spell in the kitchen. Once away from Greg, Caroline had been demonstratively chatty and friendly.