‘Your mother, the lady who lived here with you for a time, that was Nancy?’ Madi said, still standing just a few feet away on the landing. ‘Jeremy’s Nancy? And all this time I was paying my rent to that management company, it was really going to her? And now to you?’ She stood, swaying, trying to take it in.

Suzy sniffed, finally pulling herself together as Aaron came forward and put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Someone came, from the solicitors. Tried your door after he’d spoken to me. You weren’t about. Working, or sick or something. Didn’t they write to you?’

‘I don’t read all that stuff. Not properly. All the jargon. I thought it was just routine, the same thing being sent to all the residents, the owner wanting to sell. I didn’t think it applied to me, and I couldn’t afford to buy the place, even if I wanted to. Oh, my God, I just thought some faceless company owned the place now. Not his family, not … you. I’m sorry, Suzy. I am so sorry, but I think I need to get back upstairs now. I can’t …’

‘Are you all right, Miss Cardew?’ The older police officer looked concerned. ‘This all seems to have come as a shock to you, and I’m not sure if it has anything to do with the assault on Miss Harris, but I certainly intend to find out. Now, allow me to accompany you back to your flat. We will need to ask you a few questions, and get you to take a look around for anything obviously missing. Perhaps after a nice strong cup of tea?’ He had hold of her elbow now and was edging her away towards the stairs. ‘I will be back to talk to you again later, Mrs Jones. Mr Jones too. Please let me know if you plan on going out.’

‘My shift at work …’ Aaron started to say. ‘No, actually, I’m going to call in sick. I can’t face it, not after what’s happened here. I’ve hardly had any sleep, and I’d like to try to visit Prue later, if she’s up to it. How is she, do you know?’

‘Her parents are with her, Mr Jones. And, for the moment, I don’t think that you going anywhere near her would be appropriate …’

‘What? Am I a suspect? She was – is – my friend. I wouldn’t hurt her.’

‘Our investigations are ongoing, sir. We do need to talk to everyone who had access to the building and to Miss Cardew’s flat. We’ll take statements either here or down at the station, so it might be wise to get dressed. Just remain at home for now.’

Madi walked slowly up the last staircase. The door to her flat was already open, a line of police tape stretched across the doorway to stop anyone going in.

Others? What had Suzy meant about others? She had truly believed she had been Jeremy’s one and only lover, the one he had fallen head over heels for, no matter how briefly, before returning, tail between his legs, to his wife the moment the reality of her pregnancy and what it could do to his precious career had hit home. Could she have been that naïve, that wrong, that stupid? Just one in a line of other women, one of a string of casual, meaningless affairs?