Out in the hallway I approach Danny’s office, hoping he’s not one of those men who keep their personal spaces locked in case the little wife messes up what she doesn’t understand. Thankfully, he’s not. The door opens first try. The smell of fresh paint hits me when I step inside. It’s dark, the curtains drawn, so I switch on the light to reveal a desk, a chair and a cabinet. Well, this shouldn’t take long. Starting with the desk, I rummage through its drawers but find nothing that resembles a note from Katie Collins. The cabinet takes longer, reams of paper clog every drawer. I flick through everything as quickly as I can but again this yields nothing. With my butt resting on the cabinet, I put my hands behind me on the top and look around to see where else he could have hidden it. My fingers are gripping the edge of cabinet when one of them bumps against something and I hear a click. Turning to investigate, I see that the top of the cabinet lifts up, revealing a secret drawer. My eyes widen, my mouth opens, my heart speeds up.

‘Did you find it?’

Shit. Mrs. Cooper is outside, about to come in. Pushing the lid closed, I rush to the door and turn the key, calling out to her that I’m almost done. Her feet shuffle away, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Back at the cabinet I pull on the lid but it’s locked and won’t budge. Fuck it. What did I do first time? I place my fingers under the edge, tapping every inch like I’m playing a piano upside down, but nothing. What the hell? I get down on my knees and scrutinize every inch but I can’t see anything standing out. Back to where I was when it opened, resting my butt on the top, my fingers gripping the underneath, I hear a click. Bingo.

I see a rabbit. Not a real rabbit or even a toy rabbit. It’s a picture of a cardboard cut out with a naked girl sitting on it. Playboy. October 1971. One dollar. Jesus, Danny. Pushing the magazine to the side, I lift some cards in my hand. Birthday cards, all from the one person with the one message written inside. ‘All my love, Hannah.’ Oh my God. If Joanna gets her fingers on that elusive secret button, Danny is dead. Hannah Boyd was the girl Danny went out with for years before he met Joanna. I’m not sure who finished with who. At seventeen you don’t really care about your brother’s love life, but I do remember tears.