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from Attention to At Ease. The sculpted planes of her face relaxed and the sharpness went from her eyes. Her voice dropped half a tone and lost its edge. ‘Good. Ally could do with a friend. Before, but especially now.’
    Daniel wanted to ask about Alison Barker, was looking for an excuse to stay until Mary Walbrook’s visit was complete. But she just looked at the girl in the bed and shook her head. ‘She’s not going to want any clothes today, is she? I’ll come back tomorrow.’
    Daniel fell into step beside her as she headed for the exit. Her stride was shorter than Brodie’s too, and he didn’t have to tilt his head to talk to her. ‘Have you come far?’
    â€˜Peyton Parvo. About half an hour. You?’
    â€˜I live on the seafront.’ He smiled. ‘It takes me about half an hour too.’
    She stared at him. ‘You walked?’
    â€˜Last time I drove a car I knocked someone down,’ he said ruefully.
    â€˜I’ll drop you off.’ It wasn’t an offer so much as a statement.
    â€˜It’s out of your way.’
    â€˜It’s five minutes out of my way. It’s of no consequence.’
    Daniel went to thumb for the lift but the woman was already halfway down the stairs. He trotted after her. ‘Can you tell me about Alison? What sort of person she is, what sort of life she leads. I suppose, what got her into this situation.’
    Mary stopped on a middle step and fixed him with her gaze. Her bright hazel eyes were indignant. ‘Why should I tell you anything about Alison? What entitles you to know things about her that she hasn’t chosen to tell you?’
    She was right, of course. Embarrassed, Daniel nodded. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry. Well, actually I suppose I do mean to pry, but only in the hope I can help. When we met she said …some things. I know, she’d just bounced off a car, she probably wasn’t thinking too clearly, but she believed someone was trying to hurt her. Could she be right? Has something
happened that would make her think that?’
    Mary took a deep breath and walked on, more slowly than before. ‘Mr Hood, you’ve come in at the tail-end of a family tragedy. Ally’s been through hell these last few months, it’s no wonder she’s paranoid. She lost everything that mattered to her - her father, her job, her horses, her home. And then she pretty much lost touch with reality as well. Whatever she said to you, it would be a kindness to forget it.’
    â€˜What happened?’
    For a moment she debated whether to tell him. Then she did. ‘We had a run of bad luck. We almost lost the yard. Stanley and I were partners in a bloodstock dealership. Horses,’ she said in plain English, seeing his confusion. ‘Ally worked with us, on the yard and as our show rider. It was an advertisement for us and an opportunity for her. But when the bailiffs came knocking we had to sell everything that was worth money. Keeping the jumpers was a luxury we could no longer afford. The Barkers’ house and my cottage went as well. The yard pulled through, but only just.’
    â€˜She must have been very upset.’
    â€˜Of course she was,’ said Mary sharply, ‘she’d been very successful with those horses. She was being considered for the British show-jumping team. And she’d done it all herself with just some promising young horses that came onto a dealer’s yard. Now other people were going to benefit from her work and her skill, and even the money was owed elsewhere – she didn’t see a penny of it. Of course she was upset. But she knew it was necessary. She’d have done anything for her father, the way he’d always done everything for her.’
    â€˜And then he died?’
    â€˜Yes. She gave up her career for Stanley and then Stanley died. Three months ago. She was inconsolable. I was afraid for her sanity. And I