Short nodded. ‘I asked about the value of her estate. She said that there was no property. “I didn’t take after my father, Mr Short. I never felt the need to accumulate houses.” But there was a little cash on deposit and, as she had no family, she wanted to make sure that it found a good home.’

‘You drew up the will for her then?’ Vera had a sudden realization of her own mortality, followed by a moment of panic. What would happen when she died, to the house that she still thought of as Hector’s, to the little cash she had on deposit? Perhaps she should make an appointment with this quiet and courteous man and make arrangements of her own. But how would she divide up her belongings? It seemed even more of a challenge than buying a Secret Santa Christmas present for a member of her team.

Short was talking. ‘No. Apart from one complication, it was all quite straightforward and she was eager to complete the business with one visit, but because of that complication I persuaded her to wait until I returned from my holiday.’

‘Can you tell us the proposed terms of the will?’

‘In the circumstances, of course. We agreed on the wording, apart from one bequest. Margaret Krukowski had fifty thousand pounds in fixed-rate bonds and ISAs with the North of England Building Society. She intended to leave ten thousand to her friend Kate Dewar,’ he looked at handwritten notes on his lap, ‘“an investment in a musical talent”. Ten thousand was to go to a charity for homeless women called the Haven, and ten thousand to “my old friend Malcolm Kerr, in gratitude for his help and support over the years”. And the remaining cash, twenty thousand pounds, to . . .’ he paused ‘. . . Deirdre Robson. I understand that she was your second murder victim. I got in touch with you as soon as I heard.’

For a moment Vera didn’t speak. Ideas and questions were spinning around her head. Fifty thousand might seem a modest sum to the lawyer, but it was considerable for a woman who’d spent the last twenty years as a glorified chambermaid and kitchen assistant. And ten thousand might be enough to save the Haven from closure. She wondered if Margaret had talked to Jane Cameron about the bequest. If she’d had second thoughts when Dee had been asked to leave the hostel.

Short went on. ‘The complication was the bequest to Miss Robson. The money wasn’t to go to her directly, but to a third party to administer the money on her behalf, to befriend and assist her, and to provide additional funds to supplement her benefits. It wasn’t a usual clause in a will, and I explained that I’d need to check the wording.’