Fran sniffs, pulling the thin silk kimono she still wears more tightly around her neck. ‘Where have you been, Dominic? Why didn’t you answer your phone?’ She raises her eyes to his and he rubs the back of his neck before he answers, pulling at his collar as if it irritates him.

‘I had to go to the hospital, for a meeting,’ he finally answers. ‘You were asleep when I left, Fran. I didn’t think you’d . . .’

‘Didn’t think I’d what? Notice? Mind?’ Fran’s nostrils flare and she presses her lips together tightly before she speaks again. ‘I do mind, Dominic. You should have been here this morning, not at the bloody hospital.’

‘I . . . sorry. I had to get out of the house, just for a short while.’ I can totally relate to that, but I say nothing. ‘There was an important meeting that I was committed to . . . before. I thought I might as well go.’ Dominic turns to Kelly, who sits watching their exchange silently, taking it all in no doubt. ‘Kelly – did something happen today?’

‘They arrested someone, Dominic,’ Fran snaps, before Kelly gets a chance to speak. ‘They arrested someone right after they did the reconstruction. Not that anyone will tell us what’s going on or what it has to do with Laurel.’ She glares at Kelly, who doesn’t flinch.

‘Fran, to clarify, he hasn’t actually been arrested, but they have brought someone in, Dominic,’ Kelly says, ‘and I believe it is off the back of a lead brought about by the reconstruction but at the moment the gentleman in question is simply helping with our enquiries. As soon as I have more information I can tell you exactly what is happening.’

‘Who?’ Dominic asks. ‘Who is it? Someone we know? Someone who lives round here?’ Questions fire from him, but there is something in his tone – something that almost sounds like relief. I look away, busying myself at the sink as I wait for the onslaught to begin again from Fran.

‘Tell him, Anna.’ Fran’s voice is bitter, her lip twisted into a curl of disgust as she directs her glare in my direction now. Still, I say nothing. ‘Some man that Anna introduced Laurel to. That’s who.’

‘It wasn’t like that,’ I say, finally turning to meet Dominic’s gaze. He takes two long strides across the kitchen to stand in front of me, his hands reaching up to grip my shoulders so that I can’t turn away. My heart starts to thump in my chest, the memory of how he grabbed Fran rising to the surface as fear of what he might do makes my hands shake, but he merely holds me in one position.

‘Anna – who . . . can you please tell me?’ His eyes bore into mine and I can’t blink for a moment, held in his gaze.