Clement was the first to move. He took the few steps necessary to get by her side, then knelt on one knee. Trudy, by now, was also on her feet, her heart thumping in her chest. She had expected the woman to be upset – after all, nobody liked to think a guest in their house had left it only to meet their end. But she had not anticipated such a strong reaction.

She watched nervously as the coroner lifted one of Mrs Vander’s hands, his expert fingers quickly searching for a pulse on her wrist, and held her breath as she waited for his verdict. If her witness had had a heart attack …

‘She’s only passed out,’ Clement said calmly. ‘She’ll soon start to …’

It was then that a young man walked in, took in the scene at a glance, and snarled, ‘Who the hell are you? Get away from my mother before I rip your damned head off!’

‘That’ll be enough of that, sir,’ Trudy said sharply, moving forward hastily and putting herself between Dr Ryder and the newcomer.

The young man reared back in surprise, not having realised she was there, his mouth falling open. He was very good-looking, Trudy noticed clinically, with black hair and grey eyes, but he wasn’t particularly tall. At five-feet-ten herself, she thought she had a good four or so inches on him, and he took a step back and watched her resentfully, his eyes narrowing.

‘Police?’ he said, noting her uniform with a brisk, unimpressed glance. ‘What have you been saying to my mother? Why is she lying on the floor?’

Just then, Millie gave a sigh and opened her eyes. ‘Hello, Mrs Vander, don’t be alarmed,’ Clement said, still kneeling beside her. He’d paid barely any attention to the young man, his focus on the woman he suddenly considered as a temporary patient. ‘You’ve had a bit of a faint that’s all. You’ve had a nasty shock. Just lie still for a moment and take some deep breaths. When you’re ready, I’ll help you back into your chair. All right?’

To the young man standing uncertainly in the doorway, he added crisply, ‘Your mother’s had a shock. Go and make some hot sweet tea. Now,’ he ordered curtly as the newcomer continued to stare at him blankly.

The young man flushed, his anger at being spoken to so peremptorily making him look ugly for a moment, before he nodded without much grace and stalked back out into the hall.

Trudy hadn’t realised she was so tense until she felt her shoulders slump in relief.

With the son of the house gone, she turned her attention back to Millie, who was beginning to turn on her side, putting a hand out and levering her elbows upwards so that she could sit up.