Harry stops for a moment, as if catching his breath. ‘We started an affair… It was only a couple of times, but then I broke it off. I loved Liv, my wife. Emily was a mistake. Emily wouldn’t accept it. She hounded me day and night, broke into our house, things went missing – silly things like Liv’s necklace that I bought her for her birthday, my favourite tie. Emily reported me to the police for stalking her – as if I couldn’t get away from her if I tried. Obviously, Liv found out, and she was devastated. She took the children and left. Emily thought that meant that we would be together, and I came home to find her in my bed.’

Rupert says nothing, waiting for Harry to finish.

‘That was the final straw. I’d lost my wife, my children, and that day I’d found out I had lost my job because I had taken so much time off with the stress of dealing with Emily’s behaviour. I dragged her out of the bed and threw her out of the house. I’m not proud of myself, I behaved in an appalling manner. I grabbed her by the throat, and I told her if I ever saw her again, I would kill her.’

Harry presses his fingers to his lips, as if pushing the words back inside. ‘She hacked into my bank accounts and stole every penny Liv and I had saved together for the children. I tried to get her arrested, but she’d covered her tracks so well she’d made it look like I had taken the money myself. I haven’t seen her since, but neither have I seen Liv or the children.’

Rupert doesn’t know what to say. ‘Harry, I’m sorry, I really am, but this doesn’t sound like Emily. She’s nothing like that.’

‘Don’t you get it, Rupert? I’ve lost everything because of that woman. Everything.’ Spittle flies from Harry’s mouth as his face contorts in anger and he slams a fist down on the table making Rupert jump. ‘I’m trying to warn you – to help you – and you’re so infatuated with her you can’t see what she’s like! I know where you live, Rupert, I know exactly where she is, and I could destroy her anytime I wanted to.’

‘So, why haven’t you then?’ Rupert says, starting to get his things together. It looks like Emily was right after all about Harry, he is mad. ‘Why haven’t you come to our house and demanded that she repay you every penny?’

Rupert leans down and touches Harry’s badly knotted tie, a tiny threat.

A look crosses Harry’s face that Rupert can only describe as fear, and a shot of adrenaline pumps through him. He pushes the knot further up the tie.

‘Why, Harry? Why haven’t you come after her?’