Page 116 of The Stranger in Room Six

Elspeth is furious, especially as I have to explain how this all happened.

‘Karen is a resident there?’ she asks appalled. ‘You went to Sunnyside to find her? I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t try and track her down.’

‘Actually, that was your opinion,’ I point out. ‘Not mine. I needed to know the full story if I was ever going to move on.’

‘Well, I’m definitely not meeting some man who claims to be Dad’s son. I know Gillian would feel the same without even asking her. She’s still furious that you were involved with all that political stuff.’

I’d given the girls a brief version without going into too much detail; explaining I’d been asked to keep a special eye on Mabel Marchmont as her carer and that the assassin had tried to get at her through scaring me. It’s not far from the truth.

With trembling fingers, I call Stephen. ‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘They don’t want to meet you.’

‘I see.’ There’s a pause.

‘I suppose you’re going to shop me now?’

‘No,’ he says. ‘I said I wouldn’t, and I meant it. Besides, my mother seems comfortable in your presence, and she likes talking to you.’ He gives a short laugh. ‘Ironic, isn’t it? Well, thank you for trying.’

He seems, I have to admit, a decent man. I can only hope he sticks to his word.

As I put down the phone, there’s the sudden sound of glass shattering.

People are running down the corridor screaming.

‘Someone threw a brick through the dining-room window,’ I hear one of the nurses yell. ‘It was a kid from the town – I recognized him. Call the police!’

Mabel isn’t the only one who’s not safe. None of us are.