Eunice explained that her brother, Reginald Small, was Charles Foxley’s father. She provided a concise family history, saying that her brother had been an employee of a mining company and had married Melody, who had been only eighteen and had had dreams of becoming a model. Melody was extremely pretty with wide green eyes and thick curly auburn hair. She was also very slender and could definitely have had a career as a model. After she married Reginald, they moved to South Africa.

At this point the waiter brought their beef and asked if they would like some wine. They both declined and Jane asked for a pot of tea.

Eunice ate like a bird, cutting up her food into tiny slices and making sure she had a little roast beef, a little carrot and a little slice of roast potato on her fork before dipping it into the gravy. She took a mouthful, chewed carefully, then continued.

‘When Melody got pregnant, she didn’t want to continue living in Johannesburg. She said she had never really been happy there and so she came back with my brother. I truthfully believe that to begin with, they were very happy, but, because his work required him to spend time in Africa, they were often apart for lengthy periods. I’m not accusing Melody of any infidelity, but I think she was bored. Then poor Reg got some awful illness, malaria-related, and never really recovered. He left Melody a reasonably well-off young widow with two young boys.’

Jane placed her cutlery together on her plate and glanced at her watch as Eunice continued eating. She bent down to pick up her bag, placing it on her knee.

‘You said two boys?’ Up to now no one had mentioned Charles Foxley having a brother or, for that matter, ever having had a different surname.

‘Yes, dear, two boys. Tommy and then, four years after dear Tommy, Charles.’ At that point Eunice carefully placed her knife and fork together and patted her lips with a napkin.

‘Where does the name Foxley come from?’ Jane asked.

‘That was Melody’s second husband, Sean. He was in property development. I always thought he was rather pompous, but Melody would never hear a word against him. He took on the responsibility of the boys and they assumed his surname.’

A waiter came to remove the plates, then brought their dessert with a pot of tea.

Jane continued, tentatively. ‘You are obviously aware of what happened to Charles and that I am part of an ongoing investigation, but this is the first I have ever heard of Charles having a brother, Tommy. What happened to him?’ Jane asked.

Eunice folded her napkin and dabbed her eyes.