‘It’s to do with Chris,’ she told him. ‘About how he died.’

And if the line of questioning about his father was unexpected, then that took him completely by surprise. What could she possibly have to say about Chris? About the death of Chris? A tragedy that had taken place so many years ago.

‘It’s something you said,’ she told him. ‘How your parents told you that Chris must have been swept out to sea. It didn’t ring true somehow. Either way, I looked into it.’ She had picked up some of the papers that she consulted now. ‘I found something,’ she said.

‘What is it?’

‘I think . . .’

‘Yes.’

‘Alex, I think that your parents lied to you.’

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

‘What do you mean they lied to me?’

‘OK, I mean that if they really told you that Chris had been swept out to sea then they definitely lied to you. Look, I’m trying to choose my words carefully here. I don’t want to appear insensitive. But it just sounds, I don’t know, unlikely that a kid in a river in the East Midlands ends up in the sea, don’t you think? Tell me, did you ever look into that?’

He shook his head. ‘No, I never checked it out. I took what I was told at face value and . . .’

‘Even with the passing of time? Something nagging at you? Some sense that things weren’t quite right?’

He shook his head.

‘Or had you simply accepted this notion of guilt, this sense that you should have done something more?’

He looked at her. ‘Don’t psychoanalyse me, Tess,’ he said, perhaps more sharply than he had intended.

Her eyes flicked down to the glass of beer in front of him. Not far away was a second glass, this one of white wine. Neither were his first. ‘I know this is painful territory for you, Alex,’ she said, ‘I know you’re dealing with new stuff now. Believe me, I thought long and hard about bringing this to your door.’

‘No, no, you did the right thing. I’m sorry. Just, please, bear with me.’

‘Sure, sure.’

‘What else is there? I mean, there’s more, right?’ His gaze went to the papers.

She placed her hand on them palm down. ‘Yes, there’s more. But are you sure you want to hear it?’

He shrugged like, Tell me and then we’ll see . . .

‘This is going to be hard to hear, Alex.’

‘It’s getting even harder not to.’