I’m sitting in my bedroom with nothing to do but daydream. I wonder when Andriu will ring. I wonder when I can go to London to be with him. I wonder what our kids will look like. I have a strange energy boiling inside me, a sense of needing to do something. I can’t just stay here in my room while Andriu is floating around the city, probably with nothing to do. He might welcome some company.

I dial the number I have for him in my phone but it’s no longer in use. I could ring Tara. She must have his number. But I don’t want to talk to Tara; she might ask more questions about the dead woman and I can’t go there. Not now, not when I’m feeling so positive. I’ll text her instead.

Within ten minutes she sends me Andriu’s number and without planning what to say I dial it. My heart leaps when he answers.

‘Andriu, it’s Faye.’

‘Faye, what are you doing ringing me?’

‘I thought you might like some company. Do you want to meet for a coffee?’ I’m holding my breath, praying that he’ll say yes.

‘You shouldn’t be calling me.’

‘But?’

‘Faye, I don’t want to meet you. I don’t want you calling me, either.’

‘But Andriu, I thought…’ I can feel the pain like a knife ripping a hole in my heart.

Why is he being so mean? I thought he understood. I thought…

‘Is it Tara?’ I say.

‘Tara? What are you talking about?’

‘Do you love her?’

‘Sweet Jesus, Faye, where does your madness end? Of course I don’t love Tara. Tara is getting married.’

‘But you stayed in touch with her, you slept with her.’

‘What are you talking about? When did I sleep with her?’

‘That night, when I was at work, when you were both drinking.’ Why is he acting so clueless? ‘When we had the big row… I asked you to leave and…’

‘I never slept with Tara Moore. When I said I was sorry I slept with her I didn’t mean Tara, I meant Emily. It was Emily I slept with the night before I left. But no. You wouldn’t listen to me. You just kept shouting and screaming and throwing things and when you said Tara’s name you went completely mad. I couldn’t quieten you down to explain you had it wrong so I just ran out of the place while I still could. Is that why you hung her out to dry, Faye?’

‘What?’ My hand is shaking so badly I can barely keep the phone up to my ear to hear him continue.

‘You told the detective that Tara knew Avril Ryan. Did you kill Avril Ryan, Faye? Is that why you told the detective that? Is that why you’ve gone mad? You can’t live with yourself.’