Alicia ran back to her car, ringing Justin as she did, only to get his voicemail again, which only increased the knot of fear growing inside her. Where on earth was he? Why had he left? He’d pulled his drip out, for God’s sake, and not even discharged himself.

What was he thinking? His emotions were raw – all of the stages of grief and more. Alicia couldn’t even imagine how he must be feeling. He’d been confused, Jessica had said. He’d already been bewildered and broken, stuffed full of pent-up anger. He’d snapped at her, but he hadn’t once lost his temper, though he had every right to. But he had attacked Paul Radley. Icy fingers ran the length of her spine. Aggressively, DI Taylor had said. Where had he gone now, disorientated and in pain? What would he do? He wasn’t capable of defending himself if there were a confrontation of some sort. Physically, he wouldn’t be able to, but that might not stop him provoking that confrontation.

She had to find him. Please, God, before he did anything reckless. He wasn’t well. Gulping back her mounting fear, banging the heel of her hand against the steering wheel and cursing the slow traffic, Alicia drove straight to the house, hoping she might find Justin there. Her heart plummeted another inch when she saw his car wasn’t on the drive. After Justin was attacked, DI Taylor had organised the collection of the vehicle from where it had been parked. One of his officers had driven it here and delivered Justin the keys, so that could only mean Justin was driving it now. Was he even capable of driving? There were no signs of life when she knocked on the door, no signs of him through the windows. He wasn’t here.

Justin, please, please answer your phone.

Driving straight to the house where he’d said he was renting a room – a single room, no bigger than a shoebox, with one tiny window and tobacco-stained walls, not fit for a dog – she found he hadn’t been back there either, and her heart sank without trace. She had no idea where else to look. He obviously wouldn’t be at work – the hospital he’d just escaped. Might he have gone back to trawling the streets, compelled to carry on searching?

Was he searching for Paul Radley? She didn’t imagine he would cross the line for her sake, but for Sophie he would. For Sophie, in his disturbed state of mind, he might do anything.

Alicia drove next to Jess’s, and sprinted to the house, almost falling through the door as she fumbled to open it. She was hoping and praying that Justin might have rung there, that there was some logical reason she hadn’t been able to get hold of him, like his phone wasn’t working, perhaps because he had dropped it. She was clutching at straws. Desperate.

‘Jess!’ she called, checking the answerphone and charging straight to the lounge, and then to the kitchen. ‘Jess?’

‘Up here,’ Jessica answered from the top of the stairs. ‘I’ve just been speaking to Justin.’

‘You’ve been talking to…?’ Noting the phone in her hand, Alicia shook her head, confused. ‘Where is he? I’ve been trying to get hold of him. His phone kept going to voicemail.’

‘I’m not sure.’ Jessica came on down. ‘He obviously needed some space to think.’

‘I see.’ Despite the fact that he’d clearly been avoiding her calls, her heart settled clunkily back into its moorings. Alicia nodded, looking worriedly at her sister as she met her in the hall. ‘Did he call you?’

‘Yes. He said he’s been trying to get hold of you.’

Her phone had obviously gone to voicemail, too. Relieved, Alicia checked it, but found no message. Growing more confused, she scanned Jessica’s face. ‘Is he all right?’

Giving her a small nod, Jessica glanced at her warily. ‘As he can be,’ she said.

‘Are you?’ Alicia asked, looking her over with concern. She looked pale and tearful. ‘Jess?’

Jessica took a breath. ‘There’s something I need to mention, Ali,’ she said, seeming reluctant. ‘He asked me to meet him, before he was injured. I’m sure it was just to talk, but under the circumstances…’ She hesitated uncertainly. ‘I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea, when I saw him at the hospital. I thought you should know. I…’

Stopping, Jessica fixed her gaze on the floor, while Alicia inwardly reeled. Did Jess think…? No, surely Justin wouldn’t…? Unless to get back at her? But he wouldn’t do that. She knew him. He wasn’t vindictive. He wouldn’t do something out of spite. It wasn’t in his nature to… her thoughts ground to a halt as it occurred to her that Jessica might possibly be embroidering the truth. She noted her sister’s body language, the downcast eyes, the phone still in her hand. It was never far from her side. But why would she…

‘I didn’t want there to be any bad feeling between us, Ali.’ Jessica looked at her imploringly. ‘I didn’t want to mention it, but…’

‘It’s okay, Jess. I’m glad you did. He probably did need to talk. He obviously has endless questions going around in his head.’ Giving Jessica a brittle smile, Alicia pulled in a breath. The ‘why would she’, she realised, was becoming blindingly obvious.

‘Exactly.’ Jessica looked hugely relieved. ‘I’m happy to lend a shoulder, of course I am. You know me, always willing to help in a crisis. But I didn’t want to seem to be going behind your back.’

‘No, of course you wouldn’t.’ Alicia smiled tightly again. ‘Did you go back to work?’ she enquired casually.

Jessica looked at her blankly.

‘It’s just that you said you’d gone to see Justin because you were taking the rest of the day off.’

‘Yes,’ Jessica said uncertainly.

‘And then you said you had to get back to work,’ Alicia reminded her.

Jessica’s brow furrowed. ‘Did I?’

‘Perhaps it’s you who’s a bit mixed up, Jess?’ Alicia suggested.

Jessica looked somewhat po-faced. ‘I hardly think it’s me who could be accused of that, Alicia. I only mentioned it because I thought you should be aware, but if you’re going to start bandying accusations about…’

‘Aware of what, Jess?’ Alicia stopped her, as Jessica turned towards the kitchen. ‘That my husband’s right up there alongside the “bastards” you’ve had the misfortune to be involved with? That, even though he’s injured, out of his mind with grief, he’s engineering some plan to sleep with my sister to get back at me?’

‘That was not what I said.’ Jessica whirled back around. ‘You’re putting words in my mouth, Alicia, and that’s not fair after all I’ve done for you. I really wonder why on earth I—’

‘Why didn’t you text me?’ Alicia asked over her. ‘When Justin “guessed” about Sophie, why didn’t you alert me, Jess? Your phone is never more than two inches away from you, after all.’

Jessica looked nonplussed. ‘I don’t know,’ she said indignantly. ‘I don’t remember. I was in a state of shock. Of panic. For you!’

‘Right.’ Alicia narrowed her eyes. ‘Did you also forget to tell me you’d mentioned Sophie’s sixteenth birthday to Paul Radley, therefore supplying him with the exact information I didn’t want him to have – her date of birth?’ she asked furiously.

‘Oh, don’t be bloody ridiculous,’ Jessica snapped, turning away again.

‘He wouldn’t have known!’ Alicia shouted behind her. ‘He wouldn’t have done the maths if you hadn’t told him!’

Jessica turned back, two bright spots on her cheeks, her expression livid. ‘But Justin would have! He’d already done the maths, Alicia. He knew. And, if you ask me, it was about bloody time he did!’

Alicia stared at her, her heart feeling as if it was fragmenting piece by painful piece. ‘You wanted him to find out, didn’t you?’

‘Of course I didn’t want him to find out.’ Jessica sighed short-temperedly. ‘But if you’re asking whether I’m glad he knows, then yes, I am. You should have told him, Alicia. It wasn’t fair to keep him under false pretences. You should have given him a chance at another relationship.’

Alicia laughed – a short, disbelieving laugh. ‘With you.’

Jessica notched up her chin. ‘If that’s what he’d wanted, then yes. Why not?’

‘Why not?’ Alicia almost choked out the words. ‘He’s my husband!’

‘And you don’t appreciate him!’ Jessica countered angrily. ‘You had the perfect life, the perfect family, everything I ever wanted. You didn’t deserve it, Alicia.’

She was jealous. Alicia was utterly stunned. So jealous she would have risked Sophie’s happiness? Justin’s?

‘You were so busy fluttering your bloody eyelashes and blushing the first time you saw him, it never occurred to you I might be interested in him,’ Jessica ranted on, obviously letting go of the frustration she’d bottled up inside for many, many years. ‘That he might have been interested in me. Oh no. You just moved in like a cruise missile, grabbing him for yourself, always getting everything you want because you’re so obviously needy. But you didn’t want him, did you? You lied to him, deceived him, cheated…’

Realising she might have gone a step too far, she stopped suddenly.

Alicia clenched her teeth hard. ‘Did you give him Sophie’s mobile number?’ she demanded, her fury now bubbling white-hot inside her. ‘Paul Radley. Did you give him Sophie’s number?’

Jessica held her gaze. ‘She’s his daughter,’ she said, tilting her chin defiantly.

‘My daughter!’ Alicia’s fury spilled over. ‘My husband!’ She stepped forward to land a stinging slap on Jessica’s face, who was even now unrepentant. ‘You’re sad,’ she seethed. ‘A very sad, bitter woman, who I was fool enough to listen to for far too long. I hope you’ll be happy on your own, Jess.’ Looking her over contemptuously, Alicia turned to fly up the stairs for her things.

‘Where are you going?’ Jessica shouted after her.

‘To find my family!’