‘It was after I hear helicopter, and I think might be you, so I answer,’ Irena went on. ‘But is your daughter, and she is angry when she hear my voice. She ask why I am still here, and I do not know what to tell her, so I say you will call when you are home. I am sorry if I have cause problem.’

‘You haven’t,’ Frank said, scraping his chair back. ‘She was questioning me about you being here the last time we spoke, and I didn’t want to tell her what was going on so I said you’d left. Don’t worry, she’ll understand when I explain it to her.’

‘I hope so,’ said Irena.

Me too, Frank thought as he made his way upstairs and started the bath running before going into his bedroom to make the call.

Jo answered on the second ring and launched straight into him, demanding to know why Irena was still at the house when he’d told her she had left.

‘And what do you even know about her?’ she went on before he’d had the chance to answer her first question. ‘She could be a con woman, for all you know. I hope you haven’t left any money lying around, because she’s probably already got her eye on that. And if she so much as touches anything of my mum’s, I swear I’ll—’

‘If you’ve quite finished,’ Frank cut in. ‘I’m not an idiot.’

‘Well, you’re doing a bloody good impression of one. And how do you think Mum would feel about you inviting a strange woman into her house and letting her walk around as if she owns the damn place?’

‘Your mother is dead,’ Frank reminded her bluntly. ‘But if she was still here, she’d be doing exactly what I’m doing, because she would never turn her back on someone in need.’

‘Oh, I see,’ Jo replied sarcastically. ‘This woman’s fed you a sob story, and you’ve fallen for it. Come on, then . . . what’s she after? Has she lost her passport and needs money to get back to wherever she came from? Or is one of her relatives desperately ill, and she needs to pay for their treatment?’

‘She hasn’t asked for a penny, as it happens,’ Frank said truthfully. ‘But if I decide to help her out, it’ll be my choice – just like it’s my choice who stays at my house.’

‘Then why lie about it?’

‘I’ve got my reasons, and I expect you to respect that.’

‘Well, I’m sorry, but I can’t. It’s obvious you’re hiding something, and if I find out you’ve betrayed my mother, I will never speak to you again!’