‘Just tell them it was an accident,’ Paul said again. ‘Just tell them you fell down the stairs or something.’

Carolyn was hunched in the sofa, her arms wrapped around her stomach. She felt a drop of blood creep over her lip.

When the ambulance arrived, Paul went to the front door and she heard the low murmur of voices in the hallway.

A moment later, an ambulance woman appeared in the room, her short red hair wet from the rain. She was followed by a male colleague so tall that he had to duck through the doorframe. Paul stepped back from him.

‘I don’t know how it happened,’ he said, talking quickly.

‘I was out in the garden, and the next thing I hear is her calling from the bottom of the stairs. Isn’t that right, love?’

The ambulance woman crossed him to sit beside Carolyn who flinched as she rested her hand on her shoulder.

‘We need to get you to hospital, Mrs Ranger,’ she said softly. ‘Are you able to stand up?’

Carolyn nodded and counted to ten before getting to her feet, wincing at the pain in her ribs. There would be breakages this time, she was sure.

Out in the hallway, she watched Paul pull on his faded denim jacket and willed the word ‘no’ to fall from her split lips.

‘We’ll be taking your wife alone, Mr Ranger,’ the tall man said. His voice was low, reassuring.

Without a word of objection, Paul slipped off his jacket and hung it back on the banister.

‘Well, I’ll be in first thing,’ he said, as if there had been any question.


Carolyn woke to a policewoman standing over her, a notepad in her hand.

‘Mrs Ranger?’ she said and Carolyn nodded. ‘There’s been an accident.’

Carolyn felt her stomach churn. ‘Not Jenny,’ she said. ‘Please. Nothing’s happened to my Jenny.’

The policewoman blinked; the name meant nothing to her.

‘It’s your husband, Mrs Ranger. He was involved in a collision on the A657 earlier this morning.’ She paused. ‘I’m so sorry. His injuries were fatal.’