‘No. Comfortable, definitely, but not megabucks at all. The factory’s not that big, a lot of the workers are part time. Or maybe they got into some kind of fight – something stupid that just grew until …’

‘Such as?’

‘The sort of thing that could happen to anyone unlucky. Road rage that escalated and the nutter followed them home. Some sort of border dispute about the garden fence that turned nasty.’

‘But there’s nothing like that you know of? Or any other possible motive?’

‘If there were, I’d tell you.’

DS Thomas eyeballed her: would you? Robin felt her cheeks flame but refused to break eye contact. Hold on; hold steady.

Thomas bailed first. ‘Right.’ She glanced at Patel: let’s go. As they stood, Robin realized that neither had taken their coats off.

‘We’ll be in touch,’ Thomas said at the door, ‘but if you do think of anything, call us straight away.’ She handed Robin her card then turned to go. The temperature had plummeted since the morning and the air that came in was freezing. Robin thought of Corinna, her bag of Singha beers and potatoes, the warmth she’d used to carry with her into the flat every night. She stood and watched them as they walked away.

When they reached the car, she shouted, ‘Wait!’

They spun around, expectation written across their faces: she’d remembered something; seen sense; she was going to tell the truth after all.

‘If you haven’t already,’ Robin said, ‘you should speak to Samir Jafferi.’

‘Our guv’nor?’ said Patel.

‘He’s a friend of theirs, too.’

Chapter Four

Rustling overhead then graunching springs. The ladder creaked as feet and calves appeared, just visible in the light round the curtains. Thighs, then the hem of her T-shirt.

Without saying a word, Robin lifted the edge of the duvet and Lennie slipped in next to her. Robin pulled her close, pressed her nose into her hair. Coconut Milk Herbal Essences these days, flavour of the month, but underneath, unchanging, the Lennieness, the smell of her daughter. She breathed it in, animal comfort.

‘I keep thinking about Peter,’ Len whispered. ‘When he wakes up and hears about his mum.’