The evening quickly wore out. I was too worried to talk about other things, so I let him ramble on about various topics. Jeremy’s mother in her nursing home, where she’d led the residents in a rebellion to get better biscuits, and his ongoing battles with his neighbours over his many internet cables sucking the power from the building. His nominal job building websites, which didn’t involve going outside or seeing other people. Jeremy was by nature a bit obsessive. He wouldn’t notice he’d been wearing the same T-shirt for five days, or that he hadn’t stood up from his desk in twelve hours. When we were together I had tried to get him drinking water and exercising, but now I was gone the habits clearly hadn’t stuck. His stomach hung down under his Marvel T-shirt, and his hair and nails needed trimming. But his earnest, sweaty face was dear to me all the same. If only I’d been able to love him back.

‘Right.’ I stood up, wearily, stacking dishes. ‘We’re not getting anywhere, are we? I can’t think of anyone else.’

We had a paltry list on the pad – José, Marietta, some unnamed intruder who may or may not have existed. Jeremy tapped it with his chewed pen. ‘We need to track them down. There’s a guy in the Netherlands. He can find anyone. Seriously, the police go to him all the time. A really cool dude. I have some clout with him. Jochem Groeneveld.’ Typical Jeremy, name-dropping someone nobody had heard of outside the true-crime forums.

‘All right. Thank you.’

Jeremy yawned. ‘But also, have you thought about this? If it’s not someone from your past, from America, maybe it’s someone from your new life. Who knows you here?’

I hadn’t wanted to think about that. ‘I don’t really know anyone. I only go to work, and now and again to the pub or something. There’s Audrey next door. Huh. She might do it, because Brandy digs up her begonias.’

‘At work, you were saying there’s lots of kids there, right?’

‘The interns. Yeah. But they’re only young. They probably don’t even remember the case. And I already tried an internet trawl. I couldn’t find that I’d been – what’s the word for when your details are online?’

‘Doxed.’ Jeremy was very up on the latest internet lingo. ‘I can look. You might not know all the forums. There’s some on the dark web, even.’

That idea made me shiver. ‘OK. I’ll get you some sheets.’

I was just moving to the stairs when the doorbell rang. I froze. Was it the police, again? It was after midnight.

Jeremy frowned. ‘Bit late for a visitor?’

My head was spinning. I began speaking very fast, walking to the door.