Lake:

It was safe to say two days had passed since the news of Jojo's mother arrived. Bentley had not been very pleased to hear that she was on another paid leave, but it was my company, I could do with it whatever I liked.

I stayed in my house, as I always did on Wednesday afternoons. Time for my evening studio session, when I could complete the painting I had been working on, was near and I was paying apt attention to my antique clock at the top of my room door.

The knock ...