Mary turned to Holly, stony-faced at the kitchen door. ‘Holly. It’s a crazy story, I know. You know me. Tell the police – I’m a fucking lunatic. You have to believe me.’

Holly kept her arms folded and thought about her answer before giving it: ‘You know me, Mary, I believe anything.’

The other officer packed away the MacBook and all Jack’s other belongings. They were ready to take him away.

‘You’re the fucking blast, Mum,’ Jack sobbed as they walked him to the door. ‘You’re the fucking blast and I’m just another of your fucking ripples.’

Before Minnie left the flat, she turned back and said: ‘Mary, I won’t tell your bosses the state of you today, but my advice is you avoid covering up for him, eh? Just makes him seem even creepier.’ She pushed Jack’s head and followed him out the door, shouting back one last thing: ‘And don’t call me Minnie.’

Jack stared ahead till the police van doors slammed shut. He looked like he’d gone into shock.

‘You are a weapon of mass destruction,’ Roddie said, watching the van disappear.

‘Do you believe me, though?’

‘You’ve ruined his life.’ Roddie was crying. ‘You’ve ruined his life.’

No, she hadn’t. She’d fix this. She’d make a plan.

‘Listen. I’m gonna head home,’ said Holly, pale-faced and depleted. She gave Mary a look that could only mean goodbye and headed down the road.

An action plan began to form in the air, as if Mary had a flipchart and a pen that worked. ‘I’ll sort this,’ she said to Roddie, who was dumbstruck.

Action 1: Ensure Jack’s safety.

She dialled Govan Police Station. ‘Hi Herb! I believe you’ve got Jack Shields-Lawson arriving soon? How’s Alice by the way?’

‘Ach she’s a winner. Three on Saturday!’

‘Three! Doesn’t it fly in? This is unusual, but Jack Shields-Lawson – I’m his mum, Herb. He’s my baby. Can you check on him? Make sure he’s okay? Tell him I’m fixing things and not to worry. There’s been a terrible mistake.’

‘Will do.’

Action 2: Lawyer him up.

She dialled Adeela. ‘Mary here … Oh you’ve heard already? Can you get to Govan? Take him some money, tell him I’ll visit him wherever he is after work. Jack Shields-Lawson, his date of birth is … What?’

Adeela did not wish to take the case and had hung up before Mary could say ‘fuck you’. She realised she was still standing on the pavement outside Macdowall’s flat, and Roddie was still staring at her.

‘Oh my God, Mary. I was gone a week.’

There was no time for this conversation. Mary was talking to another lawyer, and then to Karen, in case Jack ended up at Lowfield. She hung up when she realised Roddie was chanting.