Molly stared at him. Was that all he had to say? Was it shock that was making him behave so oddly or maybe, she hadn’t made it clear? ‘He was going to drown me,’ she said. She was pleased to see this had some effect. Jack lifted his eyes from contemplating the coffee and stared at her.

‘Yes, Charlie went upstairs for those painkillers the hospital gave me. He said you’d mentioned they made me sleepy and he was waiting for them to take effect before putting me into the bath and drowning me. But I fooled him,’ she said with satisfaction. ‘I didn’t take them.’

36

Molly waited for Jack to congratulate her on her cleverness, to voice horror and disbelief at Charlie’s evil game, but he stayed motionless, expressionless, once again staring into his coffee.

‘Jack?’ She moved closer and rested a hand on his shoulder.

‘Charlie, eh?’ he said. ‘Who’d have thought?’

Stunned by his response, the lack of concern for her and for all she’d been through, Molly took her hand away.

‘You were clever not to take those tablets,’ Jack said. ‘They didn’t agree with you anyway. I’ll get rid of them.’

‘No, it’s okay, the police took them. To compare,’ she added, seeing his odd expression.

Anger narrowed his eyes and mouth. ‘The police took them?’

‘To compare,’ she said again, puzzled as to why he was angry. ‘I told the inspector that I wasn’t convinced the two capsules he gave me were the ones the hospital had prescribed.’

Jack ran a hand through his uncombed, greasy hair. ‘I need to get away,’ he said. ‘Money. I need money. Have you any?’

She blinked in confusion. ‘You know I don’t,’ she said, letting her irritation show. ‘You maxed out all our cards, Jack. I’ve sold the car, and that’s freed up money to pay some of the debts.’

He was pacing the floor. Hearing this, he stopped and turned to stare. ‘How much?’

‘Not as much as the car is worth,’ she said. ‘Twenty-five grand.’

Some of the tension left him. ‘Where is it?’

Molly frowned. ‘Pete Randall, remember, we bought the car from him? He’s going to Wandsworth this morning to have a look over it, he said he’d transfer the money to my account as soon as he checked it over and got back to the office.’ Her eyes flicked to the clock. Eleven thirty. ‘It’s possibly there now.’

‘Can you check?’

His voice was overeager. For the first time, Molly noticed his eyes. The pupils were pinpointed. He was unable to stand still for a moment. Horror swept over her. Gambling was bad enough, but it seemed it wasn’t Jack’s only addiction. ‘You’ve taken something,’ she said.

‘Can you check?’ It was more an order than a question this time.