‘Because…’ Harry swallows, and Rupert realizes the fear isn’t aimed at him, it’s because of Emily. ‘She… she’s fucking crazy. I don’t ever want to see her again.’

Rupert shoves him back into his chair and snatches up his jacket. He doesn’t need to sit here and listen to Harry’s lies. Emily was right to be afraid of him, the man is insane.

‘Bullshit. I don’t believe a word you’ve said – stay away, Harry. If it’s you that’s been sending her letters and trying to frighten her then just stay away. Because if you don’t, I’ll come after you, understand? I’ll kill you.’

Harry scrambles to his feet, his face flushed a bright, unhealthy pink. ‘You’re welcome to her. I tried to tell you, but you’re just as crazy as she is. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, when the truth comes out about her.’

Rupert sits motionless, his heart thundering in his chest as he watches Harry leave, waiting a few moments before he makes his exit.

As Rupert strides towards the train station, he keeps seeing Harry’s face change as anger consumes him and he shakes his head. He’s never seen any sign of Emily behaving the way Harry has just described. In fact, he can’t marry up the Emily presented by Harry to the Emily he knows at all. The Emily he knows is fragile, loving, maybe even a tiny bit broken by what has happened to her in the past, and yes, they have their problems at the moment, but his Emily is nothing like the woman Harry has described. What he can picture though, is Emily cowering in fright as Harry’s meaty fist comes down on her body. Emily’s face, fear written all over it, as she tells Rupert that someone is watching her, she’s sure of it.

Rupert pushes back his chair and pulls out his phone. ‘Emily, it’s me. I will be back for dinner after all. Meet me at the Italian on the corner, you know, the one… where we went last time.’

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I clear away the dead bird, without any mention of it to Rupert, and I fix a smile on my face and make sure my handsome husband’s shirt is ironed for work, without any mention of his possibly not-dead wife, and I make sure to be as sparkly and normal as I possibly can, while all the time in the back of my mind is the possibility that Caro is behind everything.