I did ask whether either of them knew if anyone was still mad at me for the wine and cheese fiasco, or whether Alice had noticed any animosity since her table-top announcement at the weekend. They waved off that suggestion with flapping hands and insistent cries that I was being paranoid.

I’d of course checked my old phone at least every two minutes before I’d left that evening. There’d been nothing. But at the end of the night, once I’d stumbled up the stairs, tugged off my velvet trousers and glittery top, I couldn’t resist checking it again.

Did you like your present?

And a second one, sent a few minutes later:

Would you like to thank me in person?

The threat hit me like a fist in my guts.

They knew where I lived. Were they coming for me?

I made it to the toilet just in time to spew up my birthday celebrations.

Sweating, shaking, head spinning with panic, I crawled back into bed and clutched the duvet for dear life, as if a mound of stuffing could save me.

My past was about to catch up with me. In more ways than one.

The following day, I dragged myself out of bed just after eight. I needed at least four days’ more sleep, but that wasn’t happening any time soon, and I desperately needed water and painkillers for my pounding head.

Daniel arrived back from dropping Hope off at Billie’s while I was boiling the kettle.

‘Ouch!’ He winced at my bleary state.

‘Thanks,’ I croaked.

‘A good night, or a bad one?’

I shrugged. ‘Both.’

He vanished into his study, magically reappearing the second I’d finished my tea.

‘Right, are you ready to do this?’ He nodded at my phone.

I slid the phone closer with a frail hand. ‘Don’t feel the need to hang about. You’ve already taken yesterday afternoon off.’

He leaned against the worktop, arms folded. His expression was grim, but when he spoke the words were gentle. I wasn’t the focus of his carefully suppressed fury. I wondered how long it would be before that changed. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

‘Okay.’

I made the call, giving the briefest of details and being reassured that someone from the local police department would be in touch. This was followed up with a return call and appointment made for later that day. By that point I needed a second cup of tea, and Luke had arrived with new bathroom doors for the recently made doorways leading to the smaller bedrooms.

Becky joined us soon after. ‘I was going to take it easy this morning, but then Mum called and said about the bees. Bloody hell, Eleanor. Why didn’t you mention it last night?’

I mumbled something along the lines of it really not being that big a deal, but then a wayward tear slipped out, and Becky wasn’t buying it anyway, instead wrapping me in a hug before plying me with yet more tea and leftover birthday cake.