‘Have you told James?’ I ask her.

‘That I’m leaving? I suppose it’s obvious.’ Her voice tight, she glances around the shop. ‘It’s complicated, Elise. I haven’t told him in as many words.’

‘I wanted to ask you something.’ I hesitate. ‘Do you know if James and Andrew have fallen out?’

At the mention of Andrew’s name, she looks startled. ‘I wasn’t aware that they were ever friends.’ An odd look crosses her face. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘I’ve never thought of them as friends. But they’ve always seemed to get on reasonably well socially.’ I feel myself frown. ‘It was just that, at Hollie’s funeral, I caught James looking at Andrew and … let’s just say it wasn’t friendly. In fact, I’d describe it as hatred.’

‘That’s a bit strong.’ Stephanie seems to stiffen. ‘I’ve certainly no idea why.’ She’s silent; then she adds, ‘I don’t know what you want me to say.’

‘Nothing. I thought I’d ask you, that’s all.’ Slightly puzzled by her response, I change the subject. ‘What did the police say when you spoke to them?’

Folding her arms, she looks awkward. ‘I haven’t.’

I’m shocked. ‘Stephanie, you have to. It’s bad enough that they don’t already know. You need to call them.’

She at least has the grace to look ashamed. ‘I know.’ Her voice hardens. ‘Surely you can understand it’s the last thing I feel like doing. After Hollie …’ Her voice wavers. ‘I can’t face having to answer more questions from the police. And I’ll have to tell them where I’m going.’

‘You don’t have to tell them you’re going anywhere. But they do need to know what James is involved in. If I were you, I’d have everything packed and ready to go, so that once I’d talked to them, I could drive away and never come back. Call them. Tell them what you need to about his “investment”, then just get away from here.’

‘You think?’

I shrug. It depends what her conscience will let her live with. ‘It’s his problem, Stephanie, not yours. You have to do the right thing, but after that …’

A look of anguish crosses her face. ‘I’ve done what I can for James, but he’s a fool. I would never have imagined he’d be so stupid. What kind of a man risks everything the way he has?’ Her voice is shaking, but her eyes are blazing as she looks at me. ‘I keep asking myself – why? Why me? Why us? So much has gone wrong all at once. And if I talk to the police …’

In spite of everything, I feel sympathy for her. My circumstances are different, but I’ve thought the same lately – about Andrew’s infidelity, his abusive ways, Niamh’s silence … It’s so much – sometimes too much.