the money. He told me this morning. He felt he wasn’t the man of the house anymore, and so he did something stupid - something very stupid - but I promise you, it had nothing to do with another woman.’
Leo gave Tom a defiant look.
‘I know you told me to be quiet, but she needed to know that, Tom.’
He gave her a gentle smile, and a brief nod.
‘We understand, Ellie. I can see how it happened, and it sounds as if Sean became obsessed, would that be right? Why was he here, though? The police will be here soon, so if you can it would help if you told me everything now. Then I can help you.’
And so Ellie began her tale. Of the blackmail, the stalking, the breaking into the house, and how Sean came to be at Haslett’s farm.
* * *
Ellie was so grateful to Tom and Leo for coming to her rescue, but she knew that somebody was going to have to tell Max what was happening. He’d been calling her endlessly, and she had finally switched off her phone. Leo had done the same. At least he was at home to keep a careful watch over the twins, although now that the blackmailer had what he wanted, maybe that threat would be over.
She had been so wrong about Max. In spite of the horrors of this evening, the fact that he wasn’t having an affair had lifted a lead weight from around her heart. It was wrong to feel this way, because whatever Sean had done and no matter how he had frightened her, she was far from blameless, and this was something that she was going to have to face.
The police had arrived just as she finished explaining everything to Tom, and he had spoken to them. Nevertheless, she was an obvious suspect. They had found Sean’s phone, with the message that she’d sent asking him to meet her here, at the farm, and she was covered in his blood. Tom had pointed out that the floor upstairs had been sawn through, and the hole covered in cardboard and straw so that it was invisible, but they hadn’t found any tools of any description and she had no alibi. She hadn’t seen a soul since she left work. She hadn’t spoken to anybody, and she’d not been home when Max returned with the twins. In fact, she had been sitting outside the police station, but nobody would have seen her there.
Tom came towards her with the detective, a huge man, whom he’d called ‘Steve’.
‘Ellie, I’m sorry but you’re going to have to go down to the station with Detective Inspector Corby here. I don’t want you to worry too much, but they will have to arrest you. It’s procedure, and under the circumstances they don’t have much choice. But whatever you do, don’t panic. Tell them the truth and we’ll get it sorted, okay? I’ll take Leo home, and she can get you some clean clothes. We’ll bring them to you. We’ll speak to Max too. What do you want us to tell him, Ellie?’
Before Ellie had a chance to answer, one of the other policemen came over and whispered in the inspector’s ear. He nodded a couple of times, and turned to Tom.
‘Apparently we have a very positive lead on the driver of the car in the Abbie Campbell accident. Have you got a moment, Tom?’
The detective inspector put his hand on Tom’s elbow and guided him away from Ellie, but not before she had heard one name.
Charles Atkinson.
47
As Ellie was driven away in the back of a police car, Tom could feel Leo’s rigid body beside him. He knew she was trying to deal with everything that the last few hours had thrown at her, but now she had one more thing to face. She had to talk to Max.
Tom put his arm firmly round her shoulders. She might try to shrug him off, but she needed to know that he was there and he was going to help.
‘Come on, Leo. She’s gone now, but it won’t be for long. On the face of it, the evidence might be stacked against her, but she didn’t do it. So it’s only a matter of time.’
Surprisingly, Leo didn’t move. She didn’t exactly melt against him, but she didn’t push him away either, so Tom let his arm rest there.
‘What about a solicitor, Tom? Doesn’t she need somebody?’ Leo was looking straight ahead, at the departing