Every birthday she bought me something she knew I would love, like the notebook with a lock and key that she handed to me when I was ten. I’d held it up to my face and smelt its leather, running my fingers over the sheets of paper tied in with string. It was as good as the bike Mum and Dad had given me, if not better.

She had done it for Bonnie and Danny too. A palette of eyeshadows for Bonnie on her sixteenth. A set of pencils with Danny’s name engraved into the wood the Christmas he’d turned ten. ‘For your drawing,’ she’d said, and I hadn’t known at the time what she meant, but my brother’s eyes lit up as he carefully tucked them into his rucksack. Annie must have known my brother liked to draw before even I had a clue.

Annie points to a chair, gesturing for me to sit, but I don’t move. ‘Graham was having an affair with Iona,’ I say. ‘I just found out.’

Annie looks at me quizzically and then slowly nods. Of course it wouldn’t have got past Annie if the police have been questioning him.

‘Bonnie knew he was seeing someone, but Iona never told her who,’ I go on. ‘My God. That’s why she befriended Tess,’ I say, as realisation dawns on me. ‘Susan said as much.’

When Annie doesn’t respond, I say, ‘He thinks I saw them.’

‘Does he?’ She raises her eyes.

‘I saw someone but I always thought it was my dad.’

‘Your dad?’ Annie lets out an incredulous laugh. ‘Oh, my dear, I think you were mistaken. Like I told you before, your father wouldn’t have had an affair. He loved your mother too much for that.’

I sink into the armchair, fighting the urge to cry. I’ve blamed him all these years, and now the weight of my heart pains me. ‘Graham thinks I told the police,’ I say. Possibly he was the one who sent me the threat.

Annie nods again, her eyes drifting over me.

‘I didn’t,’ I murmur.

When she doesn’t respond, I ask if I can stay with her for the night. ‘I’ve got nowhere else I can go. I promise I’ll be gone in the morning.’

‘Of course, you must,’ she says. ‘But you’ll have to sleep on the sofa. I have blankets and a spare pillow but I don’t have the guest room made up. I haven’t had anyone staying over in … well, as far back as I can remember.’

I breathe out a sigh of relief. ‘Thank you, Annie.’

‘Though I don’t know if you will be going back in the morning,’ she says. A shadow crosses her face as she glances towards the window. ‘A storm’s coming.’