Days have passed during which the tension between myself and Andrew has silently escalated, and I know I have to try to find the courage to talk to him again. His car is in the drive that afternoon when I come back from shopping, and as I go into the kitchen, I hear the television on in the sitting room. After putting the shopping away, I glance upstairs. Seeing Niamh’s door firmly closed, I hesitate outside the sitting room, taking a deep breath before walking in.

‘We have to talk, Andrew.’

Engrossed in his phone, he doesn’t even bother to look up. ‘For Christ’s sake, I’ve done enough talking today, to the police. Anyway, you and I have nothing to say to each other.’

‘As a matter of fact, I do have things to say.’ Speaking through gritted teeth, I step closer, suddenly furious at the way he treats me. ‘Can’t you put your fucking phone down even for a minute?’

On impulse, I reach to snatch it away from him. But as he holds it out of reach, I glimpse the screen. Taking in the image on it, I freeze with shock as it registers he’s looking at an image of a young girl.

My stomach lurches, my heart racing out of control, thinking of what James is involved in. ‘You disgust me,’ I say with all the contempt I can muster. ‘How can you?’

‘It’s not what you think, Elise.’ He sounds furious. ‘Someone sent me the picture. I’m hardly the kind of person who’d look at images of girls.’

‘But that’s exactly what you’re doing, regardless of whoever’s sent it to you.’ Turning around, I walk back out to the kitchen, knowing I should tell someone what I’ve seen. But an abusive marriage creates debilitating self-doubt. Who would listen? The police? His medical practice? Who’s going to believe you over him?

If the police were ever to question him, Andrew would know who’d told them. I can imagine what he’d do to me and the implications for Niamh.

But in the kitchen, I can’t stop thinking about what I’ve seen. If James Hampton invested in porn, could Andrew have invested, too?

Something clicks into place inside my head. Andrew has always believed he holds the winning hand. And for today – maybe even tomorrow – he still does. But given what I know about James, the police need to know about my husband’s nasty little secret. Even if the girl I saw on his phone isn’t underage, it would embarrass him beyond belief. With his position and the trust and responsibility that comes with it, what I’ve seen could potentially bring him down.