The hubbub out in the shop is becoming louder. Someone calls out, ‘Hello!’ Probably an angry customer – someone who saw me disappear into the back room, annoyed that I’m not giving them my full attention. I can just imagine them all complaining about how I must be skiving out the back. Normally I’d be mortified to let down one of my precious customers. They always come first with me. But not today. Today I can barely hold it together for myself, let alone anyone else.

My phone trills in my hand, making me jump. It’s a withheld number. I answer it.

‘Hello?’ I say in a quavery voice.

‘Is that… Elizabeth Beresford?’

‘Speaking.’

‘This is Sergeant Jenny Llewellyn. I came to see you yesterday at Georgio’s.’

‘Oh, yes. Hello.’

‘Did you just call the station? I’ve been passed a memo with your incident number, but the line was dead when the call came through to me.’

‘Uh, yes, I did. But the thing is, I don’t know if I should have called. It might be nothing.’

‘Well, now we’re on the line together, why don’t you tell me anyway?’ She sounds friendlier than she did yesterday, almost comforting.

‘Okay, well, I just had Leon Whittaker come into the shop, and he gave me a gift – a chocolate heart – and asked if I’d go out with him.’

She doesn’t reply, so I continue.

‘He had a bit of a situation with my boyfriend, Joe, last year…’

‘Oh, yes. I remember,’ Llewellyn says matter-of-factly.

‘I thought it might be him – the person who left me the letters.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘Well, his history with Joe, for one thing. And the timing of everything – asking me out when I’ve just started receiving these creepy letters…’

‘Want us to go and have a word with Mr Whittaker for you? Get his version of events?’

‘Maybe… No. No, it’s fine.’ I’m nervous of what his reaction might be if the police turn up on his doorstep. It might make things worse. ‘Don’t worry about it.’

‘Are you sure?’ she presses. ‘It’s no trouble for me to pay him a quick visit. And in light of what happened last year, with Joe…’

‘I know, it’s just, it might not have been him who left the letters. I might have jumped to conclusions. But him giving me that heart today, after everything, it just seems a bit…’

‘Coincidental?’

‘Exactly.’

‘So maybe we should just pop down to Whittaker’s this afternoon. Have a friendly chat…’

I think about it for a few seconds. If the police don’t speak to him, I’ll most likely be worrying about it all day. And if Leon is doing this to rile Joe, then I guess it’s better if the police act on it and warn him off. ‘Okay then. Yes, if you think that’s best.’

‘Don’t worry, Elizabeth. We’ll have a quiet word with him. Put your mind at rest.’

‘Thank you. And please call me Lizzy.’

‘No problem, Lizzy.’

‘Can you let me know how it goes?’ I ask. ‘Your chat? If you find anything out?’

‘We’ll stop by Georgio’s after, if we get time. See how you’re doing. Will you be there later?’

‘I’ll be here until five today.’

‘Great,’ she says. ‘I felt a bit bad leaving you alone yesterday. We should have offered you a lift home. I could see that note had shaken you up.’

‘It’s okay,’ I reply. ‘Joe came and got me.’

‘Good. Well, you take care, and try not to worry.’

The stockroom door bursts open and Pippa’s red face appears. ‘Lizzy, can you come and help? It’s mayhem out here!’

‘Thanks, Sergeant.’ I end the call feeling decidedly less shaky. I get to my feet and give Pippa a nod. ‘Coming.’

Pippa’s face shows relief as I follow her back out into the fray, fixing a rictus smile on my face, losing myself in the all-consuming task of customer service.

Things become a little quieter over lunchtime. Pippa and I take turns eating our lunch in the stockroom. Neither of us takes a proper lunch break on Saturdays as things can get crazily busy within minutes. After lunch, things calm down even more. It’s such a beautiful day out there that most people are probably out enjoying the sunshine. I notice that the greetings card section looks as though a hurricane has blown through it, so I decide to restore some order. Hopefully sorting the cards will help to still my racing brain.

Pippa comes over. ‘You were serving Leon Whittaker for ages. What were you two chatting about? Did he declare his undying love again?’

Normally I’d have laughed it off, but unfortunately she’s not too far off the mark. ‘He asked me out,’ I say through gritted teeth.

‘Nooo!’ Pippa gasps, her eyes sparkling with the promise of some juicy gossip.

‘I think he might be my stalker.’

‘I thought we already ruled him out? He’s too good-looking to be a stalker, darling. Honestly, he’s not the type. He could get pretty much any woman he wanted. He doesn’t have to resort to scrappy bits of paper sticking out of the floorboards.’

‘I thought so too, but then today he gave me one those chocolate love hearts, you know, the ones over there.’ I point to the glass shelving unit displaying an assortment of chocolate and candy gifts.

‘So? That’s romantic. Hearts equal romance. Breaking and entering equals psychotic tendencies. No?’

‘Oh, God.’ I put a hand to my forehead. ‘Have I gone and accused him unfairly?’

‘What did you say?’

‘I accused him of writing the letters, and then I shouted at him and told him not to use my name. I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I was… pissed off.’

‘Well.’ She tilts her head. ‘I suppose it is a bit cheeky of him coming in here after what happened with Joe. All I can say is, he must like you an awful lot.’

‘And then…’ I begin.

‘What?’

‘I called the police.’

‘Really?’ Pippa’s mouth drops open. I can see that this snippet will be worth millions in gossip currency.

‘Yes, really. I mean, how well do we actually know him? We don’t know what he might be capable of. A pretty face is no indication of character. Plus I thought he might be doing it to make Joe angry. To get him put behind bars.’

‘That sounds more likely. But Leon Whittaker is not your stalker. I mean, come on. No way.’

‘Well, he might be,’ I say stubbornly, my lips pressing down into a hard line. ‘That love heart was just as creepy as the letters. Anyway, the police are popping down to see him this afternoon.’

She opens her mouth to say something and then clamps it shut again.

‘You think I’ve overreacted, don’t you?’

‘We-ell… I mean, he came in here and asked you out face-to-face. That isn’t exactly the same as leaving creepy anonymous letters.’

‘Okay, so if it isn’t Whittaker, then who is it?’

‘Could be any sad little loser, sweetie. You’re better off trying to put it out of your head.’

‘I would if I could, but I’ve already started looking at everyone differently. Thinking that every man who comes into the shop could be guilty.’

‘Get Joe to take you away this weekend. Change of scenery. Do you the world of good.’

‘Hmm.’ Joe’s not the type to go away on a whim. He needs time to get used to the idea of things. But I don’t say this to Pippa. I know she doesn’t have a very high opinion of Joe. Although she hasn’t said as much, she thinks I could do better. But Joe and I have been together for almost six years. We know one another inside out. And there’s still that spark of passion. Which is rare after so long.

‘Nice little country hotel, that’s what you need,’ Pippa says, warming to the subject. ‘Four-poster bed, cocktails, a spa. I might even suggest that to Toby.’

‘Don’t take this the wrong way,’ I begin, knowing as I open my mouth that this line of questioning is not going to go down well with Pippa. But now that I’ve started voicing my fears, I can’t seem to stop myself. ‘But, you know Seb…’

‘My brother Seb?’

‘Yeah. You don’t think it could be him sending the letters, do you? Not in a creepy way, but in a he’s-got-a-bit-of-a-crush way?’ I wince, waiting for her response.

‘I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.’ Pippa flashes me the darkest scowl before her expression closes down.

I persevere. ‘It’s just, you seem so convinced that it’s not Whittaker. And Seb always seems to be embarrassed and uncomfortable when he’s around me.’

‘For goodness sake, Lizzy! Seb’s embarrassed around all women. I love him to bits, but he’s just so painfully shy. Sure, maybe he does have a crush on you – half the bloody population of Malmesbury has a crush on the wonderful Lizzy Beresford – but Sebbie would never do anything remotely resembling what you’re accusing him of. I’m hurt, quite frankly, that you would even suggest such a thing!’

Shit. I’ve messed everything up. What was I thinking? ‘I’m sorry, Pippa. You’re right. ’Course you are.’

She holds out a hand to silence me. ‘Don’t talk to me right now, Lizzy. I’m too upset with you.’ She turns her back and walks to the other end of the shop.

My heart plummets. It’s going to be a very long afternoon.