April told herself that was a good thing. She had found out all she needed to know and it was time to move on. It was also time to go home but as she closed the file on her computer, the icon for the attendance system came into view. When she looked away, her gaze fell on the white stone she was still using as a paperweight, but she stopped herself from picking it up. She didn’t want to re-examine the letters scratched into its surface or imagine who had scrawled them. She wanted to leave the office, but temptation held her prisoner. She had to remind herself that the names she had chosen not to include in her sample list had been left off for a reason. She trusted her friends. But she had trusted Jason too.

Turning away from her computer, April reached for her phone. It was moving day for Tara so she tried Faith first but there was no reply. She bit her lip and looked back at the icon on the screen. The office was deserted and she could delve into a witch-hunt without interruption. Someone might see the access log and query what she had been doing, but there were worse consequences to face. She might just find what she was looking for.

In desperate need of a distraction, April dialled Tara’s number, but when the call connected, she could hear a little girl’s sobs in the background. ‘Sorry, is this a bad time?’

There was the creak of a door and the noise faded. ‘No, it’s fine,’ Tara said. She let out a sigh and April imagined her collapsing into a chair.

‘Was that Lily I heard crying?’

‘Iain’s mum has brought her home – well, I say home, but Lily’s refusing to take off her coat. I’d made her a lemon drizzle cake especially, but you’d think I was trying to poison her,’ Tara said, her voice straining despite the lightness in her tone. ‘Apparently it’s not like her mum’s. I can only hope Molly’s reaction when she gets here will be better. She’s had her tea at Justine’s and they should be here soon.’

‘In that case I won’t keep you. I just wanted …’ What could April say? That she had decided to interrupt Tara on what must be an incredibly stressful day simply because she didn’t have the wherewithal to take control of her own life? ‘I wanted to wish you well in your new home, that’s all. I’m sure Lily will be fine.’

‘I really wasn’t expecting it to be this emotional, for all of us,’ Tara said. ‘Iain hasn’t said anything, but I could tell by his face that it killed him handing over his old house keys to the estate agent.’

‘And are you OK?’ April asked. She heard a gulp. ‘Tara?’

‘What if it all goes horribly wrong?’