‘Lesley Deveney. If you can get her to call me when it’s convenient? Here’s my number, in case she’s mislaid it.’

Connor jotted the number down as Lesley reeled it off.

‘You can’t tell me what this is about?’ asked Connor.

‘No. Have her phone me, please.’

Lesley hung up.

When Connor woke Shauna at two o’clock with a cup of tea, he handed her the scrap of paper with Lesley’s number on it. ‘This woman called. Lesley Deveney. Said she had to talk to you, no one else.’

Shauna sat hunched in bed, her eyes sore from weeping, every muscle aching, and looked dully at the number on the paper. She recognized it as the detective’s office number. A laugh that was little more than a croak emerged from her mouth.

‘What?’ asked Connor, watching his mother’s face.

‘It’s nothing,’ she said. She’d been mad as hell a couple of weeks ago, wondering when Lesley was going to give her an update. Now – too late – here Lesley was, no doubt about to say she was sorry to hear about Josh, because she had been out there in New York, she must know what happened.

‘Drink some tea,’ said Connor, going to the window and opening it, letting in some fresh air. ‘Can I get you anything else? You hungry?’

‘Nah. Where’s Aysha?’

‘In the kitchen. Look, I’m going out but she’ll be up in a tick.’ He came back to the bed and dropped a kiss on to her cheek.

‘Quite a rota you got going on, the pair of you. Make sure Mum don’t top herself or something, that it?’ Shauna almost smiled.

‘You wouldn’t do that,’ said Connor. ‘You’re tough.’

But I’ve lost everything. I’ve lost Josh. ‘Yeah, that’s me. Hard as nails.’

‘Drink your tea,’ he said, and left the room.

Shauna took a sip of the tea. It was nice, hot and strong. Then she picked up the phone and dialled Lesley, who picked up straight away.

‘This is Shauna Flynn,’ she said.

‘Hello, Mrs Flynn. I’m sorry, I’ve been off with a rotten cold or I would have called you sooner . . .’

‘That’s OK. We’ve had a family bereavement,’ said Shauna. ‘My husband died. Maybe you know that? You were supposed to be in New York watching him.’

‘Jesus.’ Lesley paused. ‘God, I’m sorry. No, I didn’t know he’d died. It must have happened after I came back. That’s shocking.’

Now, Shauna thought it was all beside the point anyway. All her suspicions, none of that mattered any more. ‘If you send me the bill, I’ll settle up,’ she said. All she wanted was to tie up any loose ends and forget it.

‘Well, the thing isn’t quite finished yet, Mrs Flynn.’