‘Shall I call the police then?’ She hoped he would say yes. She wanted Peter Hockley to pay the proper penalty for the ending of that young life. But she knew that even if she telephoned the Chief Inspector, it would be hushed up, because Hockley was a newspaper baron and he had clout. A great deal of clout. He shook his head slowly.

‘No. I will make sure everything’s taken care of. By the way, who was the mutual friend you spoke of?’

Briony shook her head.

‘That’s for me to know, and you to find out. If you’ll excuse us, Lord Hockley? It’s been a long night and I have a feeling it’s going to be a very long day.’

Mariah finished her drink. As they went to leave, Lord Hockley’s voice stayed them.

‘Why didn’t you phone the police?’

Briony looked back and answered truthfully. ‘Would it have made a difference? Let’s face it, there’s no way this is ever going to come to light is there? You might be angry with your son now but you won’t want him banged up, no more than I would my child. No matter what they’d done. But I trust you remember in years to come that we kept quiet about this, Lord Hockley. That we didn’t go to the other newspapers, the ones you don’t control.

‘Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve done our bit. The rest, I’m afraid, is up to you.’

Briony was still thinking of the scene she had witnessed earlier in the day as the priest spoke his last words over Eileen. Kerry and Bernadette held Molly between them, and Briony stood away from the small group alone. Eileen’s death heralded an end of an era. Never again would the five sisters be together. She heard Rosalee crying and felt the sting of tears herself. Marcus was holding Rosalee to his chest. No one was ever sure exactly how much she understood. If they cried, she cried; if they laughed, she laughed. Today she was breaking her heart. Maybe somewhere in her mind she realised what was going on. Or maybe she just felt the deep unhappiness around her.

Sister Mary Magdalene was also crying; her young face, so soft and virginal-looking, seemed out of place here.

So many people had turned out for the funeral, Briony had found it hard to believe at first. It seemed that every woman in the East End of London had gathered at The Chase graveyard to mourn her. The Chase was on the old Romford Road, surrounded by countryside. Eileen would be pleased to be laid to rest here, Briony was sure of that.