Robin tried to meet her eye but couldn’t. ‘Look,’ she said in frustration, ‘I’m not police. I don’t care about anyone’s immigration status, I don’t give a toss. I’m not going to cause any trouble like that for Ana, for you, anyone. I’m just trying to find out what happened to my friend and her family. Her little boy’s ten. Ten. He had a heart attack last night – he nearly died. There’s every chance he still will.’

A look of consternation crossed the woman’s face.

‘Someone did this to them and now Ana, who worked for them, spent time at their house, has disappeared, too? Afraid of police who told her not to be afraid?’

Marta looked at her, unblinking. Did she understand?

‘Who is she scared of, Marta? Tell me.’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Is it Josh? Corinna’s husband – Peter’s dad?’

Not a flicker. ‘She told me, scared of police.’

The frustration turned to anger. ‘And I’m telling you that’s total shit.’ She moved into Marta’s space; Marta took a step back, against the cupboards. ‘Tell me where to find her. Otherwise, I’ll go to the police and tell them Ana didn’t just know what happened, she was involved – she was part of it and you’re covering for her. Accessory to murder.’

‘I can’t tell you,’ Marta said, fierce. ‘I can’t. She didn’t tell.’

‘Then where do I start looking? Where did she work?’

‘I don’t know. Cleaning, other family for babysitting – I don’t know address.’

‘Did she tell the police? Or shall I ask them myself? Shall I say you sent me?’

Marta looked as if she wanted to spit in her face. ‘Church,’ she said. ‘Serbian Orthodox church. Sometimes she goes.’

The door slammed behind her, setting the dog off again full-throated. As she reached the pavement, it leapt, half choking itself as the chain yanked it back. Further enraged, it leapt again, then again as she rounded the back of the car. She snatched the door shut after her, locked it. If it pulled the ring out of the wall and got free, it would have gone for her and who would have dragged it off?

She turned out of the close onto Allens Croft Road, heart thudding, the reek of burning bridges in her nostrils. If Samir heard about this, she was in deep shit. Well, so be it.

‘Nearly two hours for lunch?’

‘I know. Sorry.’ Robin sat down and made a show of prodding the computer back to life. She’d taken some deep breaths before coming upstairs, tried to normalize for re-entry, but the energy was still humming off her, she could feel it.

Maggie sought eye contact and held it. ‘Where were you?’

She hesitated. ‘I went to Ana’s.’

‘Corinna’s babysitter?’