‘Don’t worry. I’ll sort it.’

‘Well, nice to have met you.’

‘And you, Tracey.’

As she departed, her frizzy hair bouncing with the motion of her lithe body, I felt a huge respect for her. What she had done, actually meeting me face to face to voice her concerns about my son, must have taken a great deal of courage. But I also felt a huge sadness, because I didn’t think I’d see her again.

Worse than that, I didn’t think Ben would see her again either.

Things were good at Dodge’s place. Ben had painted some great cartoons on a tiny desk that Dodge had made. It would make some child very happy. The style reminded me painfully of Oliver’s work. Ben was pleased with what he’d done, and even more pleased that Dodge had commended it.

Dodge himself was up and about. Given the state of his bruises, I couldn’t accurately state that he had more colour, but he was definitely in less pain. I didn’t feel bad about leaving him on his own this time. It was left open as to whether Ben would go back to do more painting the next day.

In the Yeti on the way to Chichester, I told him that Tracey had contacted me, and spelled out her ultimatum.

Ben said nothing.

During the journey, my mobile rang. I didn’t answer it while I was driving. Ben was too low to pass his usual comment on my old-fashioned distrust of technology.

I returned the call when I got back to the house. It was Detective Sergeant Unwin, the policewoman who had contacted me about the fire risk in Ingrid Richards’ flat. Her tone was businesslike, but serious.

‘I’m afraid I need to talk to you again, Mrs Curtis. There’s been a new development in the case.’

EIGHTEEN

Ben didn’t say whether he was going to contact Tracey or not and, though I felt a desperate urge to encourage him to do it, I knew I had to keep quiet. Nagging had never helped with Oliver either. Like his father, Ben had to come to a decision in his own way, in his own time. But that doesn’t mean I found the waiting easy. With either of them.

When we got back to the house, he went straight upstairs, still not having spoken since we left Dodge’s. I tried to persuade myself he wanted privacy to call Tracey, but I knew that wasn’t it.

I went and did a bit of tidying-up in the kitchen and thought about what I’d cook us for supper. But I was really killing time until the police came.

Detective Sergeant Unwin had said it would be best if she and another officer came to the house. As soon as possible. Made me think that, with the ‘new development’, the case had become more serious.

Funny, from our first phone conversation, I’d pictured her as large and overbearing, but in the flesh Detective Sergeant Unwin was tiny, birdlike. Though that actually didn’t stop her from being overbearing. Her sidekick, Detective Sergeant Gupta, was a good head taller, with short-cropped black hair. Neither was in uniform, but their similar black trouser suits made them look as if they were.