‘Not that I know about.’ I shook my head. ‘We don’t really have many neighbours. I don’t really have many, I should say. It’s mainly shops where I live, and businesses. I’ve never fallen out with anyone there.’

I swear his ears literally pricked up.

‘Who’s “we”?’

‘Sorry?’ I was losing the thread.

‘Who is the “we” you just referred to?’

‘I used to share the flat with my ex-boyfriend, Alex Bailey. We – we’re not together any more. And, actually, I’ve only just moved back. I was at my dad’s for a couple of months.’ I considered my neighbours for a moment. ‘There’s the Forlanis – they own the flat above the shop next door, but they’re in Verona most of the time. And there’s Melvin who runs the Fresca Deli, God knows what goes on in his place. He, er – he has a lot of boyfriends who come and go.’

‘So there’s no one you’ve had a row with at any time?’

‘God no. Everyone’s pretty friendly round us. You have to be, to cope with the crowds. The tourists, you know.’

‘And your ex, is it amicable?’

I tried to keep my face inscrutable. ‘Kind of.’ I could feel the heat suffusing my cheeks. ‘As amicable as I guess most splits are.’

‘Which, quite often, is not very.’

‘No. But it’s fine, really.’

We looked at one another steadily. Inside I didn’t feel very steady, though. DI Fox’s eyelashes were tipped with sand, I noticed.

‘Right.’ DI Fox stood up. ‘I should probably tell you, Maggie,’ he closed his pad, ‘I looked you up after Mr Rae rang. I wanted to see if you’d reported any other incidents. Which you haven’t, have you? But it means,’ he tucked the pad away neatly in an inner pocket, ‘it means I’ve read your file, love.’

My face turned to stone. ‘I see.’

‘I know you weren’t charged in the end. But you’re – everything okay now, is it, after the summer? You’re all right?’

It was almost dark outside though it was barely four o’clock. I turned away from his gentle scrutiny, ostensibly to switch the overhead lights off and the desk-lamp on. ‘Absolutely fine, thank you.’ My voice was just about even. Please go now, I prayed.

‘I’m glad to hear it. Well, listen, here are my numbers.’ He pressed his card into my hand. ‘Please, don’t be scared to ring me if you have any need to. If you have any more – problems.’

Turning the card over in my fingers, I wondered which problems Fox meant; apparently I had a lot of them right now. ‘Okay. Thank you again.’

‘I mean it, Maggie.’