‘Hey Stella, it’s good to hear from you,’ Freya answers. ‘I’m in the middle of something, but how are you doing?’

‘Fine,’ I say automatically, before admitting, ‘Actually I’m not.’ My fingers tug at a loose thread on the bottom of my cardigan as the other hand taps against the steering wheel.

‘Do you want to tell me?’ she says after a beat. ‘Maybe we could meet later?’

No. Because you’re a journalist and I shouldn’t trust you.

Yes. Because I don’t know who else to turn to.

I ignore her suggestion to meet and say, ‘I went to see Danny yesterday.’

‘Oh?’ Her interest is piqued.

‘He looks different to how I imagined he would. So much better.’

‘Well, that’s good,’ she says evenly. ‘Did he tell you what happened?’

‘No. Well …’ I hesitate. ‘He says the police don’t believe him.’

I hear her suck in a breath. ‘Interesting.’

‘I haven’t a clue what to think.’

‘But Danny still says he killed her?’

I don’t answer her question, but say instead, ‘They asked me lots of questions about Iona. It got me thinking that there’s more to her than we knew.’

‘Right …’ Freya answers cautiously.

‘Forget I said anything. I’ve just got too many things going on in my head.’

I hear her tapping on a keyboard. ‘Are you writing down what I’m saying?’

‘What? No. Of course not. I’m sorry, I’m trying to get something done for my boss. Sorry. Where were we? So did Danny say he killed her?’

I sigh. ‘What he actually said was that he had to have.’

‘What does he mean by that?’

‘I don’t know,’ I say. ‘I wish I did.’

‘I’m sorry, Stella. I’m going to have to call you back. Is that okay?’

‘Sure,’ I say, but she’s already hung up, leaving me feeling I was wrong to think I could confide in her.

I feel even more frustrated and despondent by the time I reach Dad’s. He opens the door, wearing a thin cotton blue dressing gown that comes to his knees, revealing his striped pyjamas beneath. He looks at me blankly and shakes his head, and for a moment we stand awkwardly in the doorway.

‘Dad, it’s five p.m. You’re still not dressed,’ I say gently.

‘You must be here too early. I didn’t think you were coming until later.’

‘I didn’t say I was coming. Can I come in?’ I nod behind him and he opens the door wider and lets me through while he lingers by the bottom of the stairs. ‘Maybe that’s why you’re surprised to see me?’ I say hopefully, as he continues to watch me cautiously.