“I don't. He admitted that he cheated but didn’t tell me who with. I suppose it doesn't really matter now that we're over. At least I know it isn't anyone at work.” I'm pushing it now, but I wonder whether she has any guilt at all about what she's done. “I trust my colleagues, and I don't think there's anyone in the office who would stoop so low as to do that to me. We all get along so well; it wouldn't make any sense. And if what you say is true, and a lot of you have been thinking that he's not worthy of me, then it makes even less sense.”

There's a long beat of silence, and I can hear her breathing for a creepy few seconds before she speaks again.

“Exactly. Even if he had told you who it was, it would probably be a lie.” She gives a bitter laugh. “I expect he’d tell you it was someone you knew just to make you feel bad. You can't believe anything that man says. Honestly, I didn't know him that well obviously, but he just seemed such a nasty piece of work to me. Why don’t we meet for a glass of wine? Get out and make yourself feel better?”

I glance at Samuel, and he nods.

“Sure. Erm, when?”

“This evening?” she asks. “Eight, at Isabel’s?”

“Okay, see you then.”

Isabel’s is a private members club, but I’ll be able to take Samuel because I can sign him in as my guest.

“What’s the plan?” I ask him.

“I’m not sure. I’m going to call Marcus.”

He rings his colleague and puts him on speaker.

“You must be psychic,” Marcus says. “I’ve just finished talking to a vet. I called a local practice, and they asked me to bring the dog in. They scanned the micro chip, and records show it went missing from another practice in the area after the dog had been put to sleep due to having cancer.”

“She didn’t kill the dog?” I ask, and the relief is immense.

“No. She stole it from the veterinary practice when it was waiting to be taken to the crematorium.

“How the hell did she know they had a dog of the same breed as Brutus?” I ask.

He chuckles. “She volunteers there once a month, and I think it was pure coincidence. I think what happened is that she got upset, for whatever reason, and she took the dog and decided to leave you a message. It’s fucked up, but it isn’t the same level of dangerous behavior as having killed a dog would be. There’s more. She’s also wanted in France for harassment and financial fraud. They’re looking at extraditing her.”

Holy shit.

“We were calling because Lexy rang,” I say. Samuel shoots me an annoyed glare, but I shrug it off.