‘English Breakfast would be great,’ she said. She was looking at the wooden dresser, which was full of photographs of the children, but also of the four of them as a family and of Kate. The one at the end was his favourite, taken on the day of their graduation, overlooking the river. She’d been drunk and happy, carefree in a way she could scarcely remember. ‘I told you,’ he said, following the direction of her gaze. ‘Memories are all I have.’

He withdrew to make tea. Kate tried to divorce herself from her emotionally loaded surroundings in order to make sense of what had just happened.

Who had been watching Sergei? Why had they let her live?

What in the hell was she going to do now? She moved to the window and looked out. The BMW was still there.

Stuart returned with two mugs of steaming tea and a plate of biscuits. He’d made it strong for her, as she liked. ‘How are the kids?’ he asked, as he sat on the sofa opposite her.

‘They’re well. Gus was very thrilled about being made captain of cricket.’

‘I know. It’s going to break my heart, not being able to watch. You’ll have to send me some video.’ He smiled again, clearly keeping up a cheery façade at some cost. Kate was thinking about the men in the BMW downstairs. Were they waiting for back-up, for others to join them? Was the idea now to kill both her and Stuart here in this flat? Would that be a double problem solved? ‘How about Fi?’ Stuart asked.

Kate tried to concentrate on the conversation. There was no point in alarming Stuart. ‘She’s difficult to reach still. She spends a lot of time with Jed, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. He’s a very nice young man.’

‘Despite the tattoos and piercings?’ He was smiling again. She gave him a weak grin in return. ‘I don’t mean to pry, but I assume you’re in some kind of trouble.’

‘I need to sleep,’ she said. ‘Then I’ll work out what to do.’

‘Of course. Just finish your tea. I’m afraid I only have one bedroom, but if you don’t mind, you can sleep next door . . .’

‘I’m grateful for anywhere to put my head down right now.’

They sipped their tea during another long and surreal silence. ‘Just so I know . . . I mean, I don’t mind, but forewarned is forearmed and all that. Am I going to be in trouble?’ he asked.

‘I doubt it. Something just happened. I don’t know how, still less why. I need time and space to think before I work out what to do next.’

‘Of course. I understand. What are you doing here in the first place?’

‘I was meeting someone.’

Stuart couldn’t hide his hurt at that. ‘I think I can guess who. What happened?’