Leaving the building, we headed for my car and were pulling out just as the sound of police sirens reached us. If we waited, we’d have to spend all night answering questions at a police station and I knew Callie wanted to go to the hospital to be with her mum. As a number of squad cars screeched round the corner, I was already driving away. It was time to pull some strings and call in some favours.

The police caught up with us at the hospital as Callie sat with Sephy’s body, ceaseless tears running in rivulets down her face. Though the officers were sympathetic, they insisted on interviewing us there and then. Callie, Sonny and I told the same story. Jon had pulled a gun on all of us. He’d shot Eva’s bodyguard, shot Sephy and, in an ensuing struggle between him and me for the gun, it had gone off again, killing him. And all because he’d kidnapped my daughter and Callie’s brother to try and extort money from me. Detective Inspector D’Souza, the officer in charge, had assured me that it was a clear case of self-defence. Once we’d given formal statements, no further action would be taken.

Just over an hour later, the police finally left us alone with our grief. I struggled desperately for the right way to act, the appropriate thing to say. I had nothing. I took Callie’s hand in mine and held it tight, hoping she could somehow absorb a fraction of what I was feeling from moment to moment.

‘Tobey, I want you to listen to something,’ said Callie after many minutes of silence.

Before I could reply, she handed me her phone. The messages app was open and showed a number of texts from her mum.

‘Mum’s last message,’ Callie informed me softly.

I took a closer look. The last one from Sephy was an audio message. Godsake! I didn’t know how to even begin to process that. This was a voice message from someone who was no longer with us. How must Callie be feeling, to hear her mum’s voice like this?

‘Callie, love, are you all right?’ I asked with concern.

Callie shook her head. ‘No, not really. Not even close. But listen.’

Unease, like nails being dragged down a chalkboard, began to scratch at my skin. I pressed play and held the phone closer.