‘When I was at primary school it wasn’t called bullying,’ said Imogen, sinking back against the sofa cushions. She looked spent, as though every syllable was an effort to pronounce. ‘It was playground bickering, kids being mean to each other. None of us gave any thought to how the person on the receiving end must’ve felt, mostly because the next week it would be our turn to be picked on. It was cyclical for everyone.’

Maggie was trying to listen, but Grace kept muttering over the top of her daughter and interrupting. If she wanted Imogen to speak freely, she needed to get rid of her.

‘Would you mind giving me a minute alone with Imogen?’ she asked as pleasantly as she could manage. ‘It’s a bit difficult to concentrate and the quicker I get through these questions the better, because we don’t want to be late for seeing Benji.’

The pathologist had agreed to delay the post-mortem to allow Imogen to see her son after Maggie’s earlier phone call. They needed to leave in an hour to get there.

‘I’ll put some coffee on,’ said Ed, heading for the kitchen. ‘Come on, Mum.’ Grace did as she was asked but sounded her annoyance in the huffing noises she made as she went.

Once they were next door, Maggie resumed her questions.

‘Are you saying you did bully Julia Hepworth then?’ she asked.

‘As I said, I don’t remember her specifically. She doesn’t stand out in my memory,’ said Imogen apologetically. ‘We didn’t share the same group of friends. She was one of the quiet ones. Julia could say that I bullied her and I wouldn’t be able to say if it was true or not, because I don’t remember.’

‘Why are you worried there might be some truth in your mum’s theory?’

Imogen let out a long, deep sigh.

‘I’m not, not really. It’s just that when Mum brought it up yesterday she was so convinced it wasn’t a coincidence that Poppy was Julia’s daughter that she got me thinking the same. I’m sorry, you must think we’re wasting your time here.’

‘You’re not. It’s important I gather every bit of information I can about Benji’s relationship with Poppy and for that reason it’s good for me to know any history between your families. Me and my colleagues can work out what’s relevant and what’s not.’

‘You’re very kind,’ said Imogen. She glanced towards the hallway. ‘How much longer do you think he’ll be in Benji’s room?’

‘I don’t know. I can see how he’s getting on if you want.’

‘Do you mind if I go? I just feel a bit weird about a stranger going through Benji’s stuff.’

‘That’s fine, but Jamie will need you to wait outside on the landing while he finishes.’

‘I understand.’