‘But you already knew that,’ she says, yanking away from her mum’s grip again.

‘No.’ I shake my head. ‘I didn’t.’

‘Yes, you did. You saw them together. That’s what he told my mum last night.’

I shake my head again, desperately trying to piece together what she means.

Meg hesitates. ‘He said you must have told the police because they’ve been crawling all over him. That’s why he confessed to her.’ She flicks a hand in Emma’s direction. ‘But the stupid cow is still seeing him.’ Her voice reaches a crescendo.

‘I’m going to finish it,’ Emma pleads but her words fade into the wind and Meg, having heard enough, suddenly races off down the path towards the village, swiftly followed by Emma.

The rain starts up again, pounding against my hood as I gape at them, watching them disappear out of sight. Graham was having an affair with Iona? I’ve always been convinced it was my dad, because of the cap. That damned cap. It was the only thing I can picture in the image I’ve tried to shut out of my head. But what if all these years I’ve had it wrong?

It takes a while for Annie to answer the door. When she finally does, I can’t help my eyes drifting down her frail body. Even though it’s only five thirty, she’s wearing a thin pink nightie that skims her knees. Her legs are bruised and patched with dry skin, her arms too fleshy for the bones that hide beneath, and as she opens the door wider I feel guilty for my intrusion. This old lady is possibly the only person on the island who’ll welcome me in, but I don’t know that I should be putting her out.

I step inside anyway as she orders me to take off my coat and my boots. ‘My dear, you’re soaking,’ she says, hanging my coat on an oak hook that’s been shaped to look like antlers.

‘Danny made that,’ I remember. ‘Dad helped him.’

Annie stops to look at it. ‘He did,’ she says. ‘He was always clever with his hands.’

I want to tell her he’s still making things, that he’s selling them on a website I never ended up looking for. Instead I follow her through to the living room and wait for her to fiddle with a gas fire until a fluorescent orange flame flickers into life. Annie stands in front of it for a moment and my mind drifts back to all the presents she gave us which were always so thoughtful.