‘Well, that’s the thing,’ I said. ‘You understand now why I didn’t call in the body, that I ran. And there’s more – I think I’m being framed.’ Then I told them about the letters on my fridge, spelling the name Casey. ‘No one around here knows my real name. And my scarf – someone must have taken it from my house. You see? It’s too obvious to have been me. I would have noticed if I’d dropped it, wouldn’t I? Especially me – I’m not exactly naïve when it comes to police investigations.’ That was my trump card: that I wasn’t stupid enough to have done this. I could not allow myself to be stupid any more. I had paid too dearly for it when I was nineteen.

DS Hegarty was still nodding, as if trying to process everything I’d said. DS Hope was making notes.

‘If this is true, and someone is framing you, who could it be?’ he said. ‘Do you have a list of possible suspects?’

I’d expected this question, but the trouble was my list was so sparse. Ruth Safran would have been top of any such one, but she was dead. José – I had given the LA police his name towards the end, desperately trying to save myself. How was I to know what would happen to him as a result? He was one possibility, although surely he was either in America too, or back in Colombia. Then there were any number of nutjobs who were sure I’d done it, killed a beautiful child in cold blood. Apparently, that was worse than killing a plain one. They frightened me most, because how could I defend myself against total strangers? It could be anyone doing this, a person I had walked past on the street or sat beside on the bus or bought soap from at the market.

‘I . . .’ I shrugged. ‘I’ve done my best to make sure nobody knows I’m Casey Adams. But someone has found me. Think about it – they’re convinced that I got away with murder the first time, so now they want me to go down for Anna’s killing. I know it sounds far-fetched but – it’s the only explanation I can think of.’

DS Hegarty’s moss-green eyes studied me, and I got the feeling he wasn’t missing a trick, that all my secrets were laid bare to him. Little did he know that I’d wrapped myself in many layers of lies, so anyone who did unpeel me would have more and more to contend with. It was the only safe way.

‘Please,’ I said again. ‘Will you tell me what’s going on with the investigation?’

DS Hope cleared her throat. ‘Ms Caldwell, usually suspects are kept updated by their legal representation, which I understand you have declined, as is your right.’