Before Celia could press her the baby began to bleat, and at the same time Geraldine’s niece came out into the hall and let out a gleeful shriek on seeing her. Chloe was a teenager, and volatile in her moods. Sometimes she was sullen towards Geraldine, usually when her parents had refused to allow her to go out because her aunt was expected. But as long as she wasn’t missing seeing her friends, she was always pleased to see Geraldine.

‘It’s not as if you don’t get together with Abigail and Molly every day at school,’ Celia had protested, half angry, half laughing, the last time Chloe had remonstrated in front of Geraldine.

‘That’s not the same,’ Chloe had retorted furiously. ‘That’s school.’

But on Celia’s birthday there was no clash of arrangements, and Chloe ran up to Geraldine and hugged her. Geraldine returned her niece’s embrace with a smile.

‘I’ve brought you a present,’ she said.

‘You shouldn’t,’ Celia scolded her.

‘Shouldn’t what?’

‘You shouldn’t spoil her.’

‘No,’ Chloe agreed earnestly, ‘you shouldn’t have brought anything for me. It’s mum’s birthday, not mine.’

‘Oh, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten her. I’ve brought a present for her as well,’ Geraldine smiled.

Celia went off to change the baby’s nappy, and Chloe and Geraldine followed her into the kitchen. For the next couple of hours Geraldine was preoccupied with holding the baby, and hearing about her niece’s latest exploits and ambitions for the future. Chloe told Geraldine how she was aiming to be a professional footballer, while Celia listened, with an indulgent smile.

‘That’s this week’s fad,’ Celia whispered to Geraldine when Chloe left the room to try on the jeans Geraldine had bought her.

‘It’s a healthy sort of ambition,’ Geraldine muttered, calling out loudly enough for Chloe to hear, ‘I can change them if they don’t fit.’

Chloe returned soon after, wearing the jeans. ‘They’re perfect!’ she enthused. ‘How did you know my size?’

Geraldine smiled.

‘We do talk to each other, you know,’ Celia said, grinning.

Just as they sat down to tea the baby began to whimper and Celia brought him to the table where he sat in his high chair, gurgling and curling and uncurling his tiny fingers. Watching Celia with her husband and children settled around her, Geraldine was struck by their contentment, which formed a stark contrast to Jessica’s wretched family life. She hadn’t thought about the case for a couple of hours and felt better for the break, and resolved to return to her work with renewed vigour the next morning.

‘You are looking tired,’ Celia said later, when she and Geraldine were finally alone together.

Chloe had gone to her room, allegedly to do some homework for school, and Celia’s husband was putting the baby to bed.