It concerned the depression that father and son shared. There are many theories of what causes the illness. It can be triggered by a trauma like bereavement or abuse. It can hit someone suddenly in the middle of their adult life. For others, their entire lives have been bedevilled by low moods.

Oliver was in the latter category. He couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t suffered from depression. As he often told me, ‘It’s genetic. It’s like having red hair.’

Ben knew his shorthand would have reassured me. But I wished he’d called rather than texted. I really wanted to hear his voice. I wanted him to tell me about Tracey.

These bloody invoices are never going to get finished, I thought, as the mobile rang again. The hope that it might be Ben, having changed his mind about talking, was quickly dashed.

‘Good afternoon, Ellen. This is Cara.’

‘Hello.’ I didn’t sound encouraging. I’d got the feeling the day before that Cara Reece was a talker who I didn’t want to get too involved with. She may have been instrumental in making Edward Finch contact me, but he was the client, not her.

‘I just thought I should give you some background to Eddie’s situation,’ she said.

‘Oh? Why?’

‘Because he does sometimes say some strange things about Pauline and how she died.’

I’d already experienced the ‘strange things’ but, of course, Cara didn’t know that. ‘What kind of things?’ I asked warily.

‘The fact is that she died in the bath. She drowned.’

‘Was there a post-mortem?’

‘Yes. She was found to have had a heart attack.’

‘So that killed her rather than the drowning?’

‘I don’t know. I didn’t see the documentation for the post-mortem, so I couldn’t be sure of that. It wouldn’t be regarded as my business, would it?’

‘No,’ I agreed, trying to invest the monosyllable with the implication that her contacting me again about Edward was not really her business either.

My deterring tactic didn’t work because she went on, ‘Eddie told me, though, that Pauline had a heart attack because she thought she was about to be drowned. It was fear that triggered it. Because he had said he was going to drown her.’

‘And do you think that’s true, Cara?’

‘If it isn’t true, why would he tell me that’s what happened?’

‘There was no investigation from the police? They didn’t suspect foul play had been involved?’

‘I don’t know about that.’

‘Hm,’ I said. ‘Well, look, I’ve arranged to go and see Edward tomorrow. I’m not going to change my plans. If he tells me that he drowned his wife in the bath, I may feel differently.’

‘Thank you,’ said Cara. ‘It is rather worrying, isn’t it?’

‘How long had you known the Finches?’

‘Oh, a long time. We all taught at the same school. And all retired round the same time.’

‘And would you say Edward and Pauline’s was a happy marriage?’

‘Outwardly,’ Cara replied. And she relished the note of mystery that she put into the word.