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I tell the woman behind the desk not to worry, and that Jess has been in touch. I thank her, and head back to my car.
My heart’s pounding and I feel sick again. The officer from Bideford must have managed to get a message to Jess. She wants to meet me at six o’clock in a pub called The Garland Ox. I look it up on my phone and see it’s in the centre of town.
There’s a Premier Inn a mile or so away from here which apparently has availability. It’s a twenty-five minute walk from the pub. It won’t leave me much time to check in and have a shower for the first time since yesterday morning, so I pull out of the car park and head for the hotel.
When I arrive, I check in and head straight for my room. The shower is hot and soothing, and I start to feel the first signs of my hangover clearin
