Justine ushered Jane into the kitchen as she kicked off her muddy boots and left them outside. The dogs all bounded about outside for a while before they followed the women into the kitchen.

‘Take a pew,’ Justine said, indicating the breakfast bar with high stools. She then began to prepare the three bowls of dog food. At the same time she filled the coffee percolator and moved gracefully, almost like a ballet dancer, around the kitchen. Jane had never seen her so amicable and so relaxed. She checked the time again but didn’t feel that it would be a good idea for her to mention the imminent arrival of DI Miller. She wondered if perhaps he’d been delayed in traffic or was being driven to the house by Darren McDermott.

Justine finished feeding the dogs and washed her hands carefully in the sink before taking down coffee mugs and putting out milk, sugar and a plate of biscuits, then sitting down beside Jane.

‘I have been very busy,’ she said brightly. ‘I forced myself to make notes and think very clearly about my every move on the Monday before I went to visit Charles. Now, I know that you found a parking ticket from when I parked outside his flat, but I thought it would help if you also knew exactly what I had been doing before that.’

She poured coffee for them both and Jane added milk to hers. Justine got up from the breakfast bar and went over by the draining board to pick up two sheets of notepaper.

‘Do help yourself to a biscuit,’ she said as she sat down again. ‘Now, on Monday morning I made a big decision.’

Suddenly Jane began to feel uneasy.

‘Where are your mother and Clara?’ she asked.

‘Mummy’s taken Clara to buy some groceries. It’s quite a walk, but she felt it would be good for Clara to get some exercise.’ She squinted at the notepaper. ‘Now, I just said that I had made a decision that morning. I talked it over with George because I was anxious and I knew it was not going to be easy. This is where I have been untruthful because I know what I did was very wrong.’

Jane sipped her coffee, waiting.

‘Aren’t you going to ask me what I did?’ Justine said, smiling.

‘Yes, of course, if you want to tell me.’