Jessica continued to stare at her. ‘Dead?’ she repeated at last. ‘Are you talking about my father?’

Briefly, Geraldine explained that David Armstrong had gone out the previous evening and failed to return. After Anne had called the police, her husband’s body had been discovered outside the house. Geraldine was pleased Jessica was sitting down when she heard the news. Her face twisted with anguish and she began to tremble again.

‘I don’t understand,’ she whispered. ‘What’s going on? What happened to my father? Why are you here? I mean, why are the police involved? What happened?’

‘We’re investigating the cause of your father’s death,’ Geraldine explained, speaking as gently as she could.

Jessica burst into noisy tears. As she did so, she dropped her head in her hands so that her face was hidden. Geraldine was a little frustrated by Anne and Jessica’s tendency to hide their responses from view. She could often tell a lot from the expressions on people’s faces.

‘I’m so sorry you have to deal with this at the moment,’ Geraldine said. ‘I know it’s a difficult time for you, but you have a right to know.’

‘Where’s Jason?’ Jessica mumbled. ‘Why isn’t he here? What’s happened to him?’ She raised a tearful face to Geraldine. ‘And where’s my mother?’

Geraldine hesitated. ‘She was too upset to tell you herself. The doctor’s given her something to calm her down and I’m sure she’ll call you as soon as she wakes up.’

Jessica looked up, her cheeks wet with tears. ‘I ought to go round there and be with her.’

Geraldine nodded. ‘She might be asleep, but I’m sure she’ll appreciate seeing you when she wakes up.’

‘How’s she going to manage?’ Jessica asked, echoing her mother’s words. ‘My father did everything for her. She relied on him completely. We all did. He was always there for us.’

‘Jessica, I know this must be very difficult for you, but I’d like to ask you a few questions.’

‘Yes, yes, of course.’ Jessica sat up and blew her nose, seeming to pull herself together. ‘Even this is better than worrying about Daisy,’ she murmured, almost to herself. ‘I mean, I loved my father,’ she added quickly. ‘He’s – that is, he was my father. He was a good father. He was good to me. But Daisy’s my baby and I don’t know what’s happened…’

Geraldine interrupted quickly before Jessica could break down again.

‘Did your father have any enemies?’

Jessica laughed harshly. ‘Just about everyone he knew,’ she replied. ‘I mean, not me and Jason of course, we loved him; Daisy did too…’

‘Who do you mean by “everyone”?’