‘Has the cause of his death been proven to be unlawful?’ the lawyer demanded.

‘Your husband was drugged before he was killed,’ Geraldine went on, ignoring the interruption.

‘David suffered from headaches so he took painkillers. He must have swallowed too many of them, and then he started drinking. I poured him a whisky, it’s true, but I wasn’t to know he had taken so many pills. His death was an accident. I’m sure he never intended to take an overdose.’

‘You just accused Ella of murdering him,’ Ian pointed out quietly.

‘I was upset,’ Anne muttered.

She flung a desperate glance at her lawyer who frowned at her, warning her to remain silent.

‘That’s a very serious accusation to make, even if you were upset,’ Geraldine replied. ‘I can’t help wondering why you would accuse someone of murdering your husband, if you genuinely believe his death was accidental.’

Anne didn’t answer.

‘Post mortem injuries indicate that David was not yet dead when someone suffocated him,’ Geraldine said. ‘Whoever did that was determined to ensure he would never recover from his blackout.’

Anne had turned pale.

‘I need to speak to my client,’ the lawyer said.

‘Did you have a towel in your hand when you went outside and found him unconscious on the drive?’ Geraldine pressed on. ‘It was dark. You knew your security lights were not working and no one could see you.’

Still Anne declined to answer.

‘Someone pressed a towel over his mouth and nose, while he lay there dying, and murdered him.’

‘I really need to speak to my client –’ the lawyer intervened urgently.

This time it was Anne who ignored him, her words bursting out in a rush.

‘All right, all right, I did it. It was me. But I never meant to do it. I saw him lying there, and I don’t know what came over me. It was just a sudden impulse. I –’

She broke off and gazed around, looking stunned.

The lawyer began to protest, but Ian held up a hand and glared at him as, haltingly, Anne confessed. David had revealed to her that their daughter was responsible for her husband’s death.

‘You mean Jessica told David she murdered Jason?’ Ian asked.

‘No, no, Jessica never said that. No, it was her friend, that poisonous snake. She told David what Jessica had done. But it’s a lie. It’s all lies. It was Ella. She did it and then tried to blame Jessica, and David believed her. He believed her, you see.’

‘And that’s why you killed David?’