‘Can I come in?’ She peers past me, smiling. ‘I have some cookies for you all – I baked them fresh this morning – and I designed a new poster for the search volunteers to hand out, I wondered if Fran could have a look at them, make sure it’s OK.’ She rests a hand against the front door as if she’s going to push it open.

‘Ruth! How kind of you.’ Fran glides up behind me, her slippered feet silent on the tiled floor, and I worry for a moment that she’s going to invite Ruth in to sit in with the psychic, another ally against Dominic’s refusal to support her. ‘I’m terribly sorry, now really isn’t a good time. Here, let me take those.’ She reaches out and takes the plate of cookies, leaving me to take the rolled-up posters from Ruth. ‘Thank you though, darling.’ And with a brief, sad smile she closes the door gently in Ruth’s face. Despite how uncomfortable Ruth’s attention makes me, I can’t help but feel relieved that she isn’t here to see Fran go straight into the kitchen and slide her plate of cookies directly into the bin.

Dominic is back by the time the doorbell rings for a second time, announcing the arrival of the so-called psychic. Part of me still feels sceptical, convinced that this is someone just out to take advantage of Fran and Dominic. The other part of me is slightly terrified, half hopeful that she will tell us something that will lead us to Laurel, half frightened that she’ll reveal something about me. About before. As the bell rings, Fran jumps and then gets to her feet. Some of her excitement seems to have worn off a little now and I hear her clearing her throat before she answers the door, a sure sign of her nervousness. Kelly slopes over to the armchair in the corner, out of sight, but still present, balancing her small notebook and pen on the mantelpiece.

Fran enters, leading a woman in behind her. ‘Everyone. This is Margaret.’ When I catch a glimpse of the woman, I almost have to hold in a snort of laughter. The psychic is definitely not what I was expecting. I thought she would be colourful, adorned with scarves – if I’m honest, I pictured the tiny psychic woman from the Poltergeist movie – but this woman is the opposite. Pale, mousy, in her late fifties, and so completely nondescript she could almost be related to Ruth. They have that same aura of appearing invisible unless they want to be noticed.