‘Listen. There’s a folder in the bottom drawer of my desk. It says what to do if I – if I don’t come back. With Brandy and the house. Please can you see to it? You don’t have to take her, obviously. Just – don’t let her be alone. Please?’

He was looking at me in dismay. ‘Case, it’s not come to that.’

‘Don’t call me that!’ I took a deep breath. The bell went again. ‘Sorry. I’m sorry.’ I opened the door – the porch light was out, so for a moment I could only see the dark shape of a man, and my whole body was trembling, sure that this was it, they had come for me . . .

‘Rachel?’ Alex stepped forward, out of the gloom. ‘Are you OK?’

‘Oh, it’s you! You scared me.’

‘You didn’t answer my message. I thought I’d just come by, see if you’re all right.’

He hadn’t contacted me in two days, and now he was worried about me? ‘I’m all right.’ I wasn’t, though. ‘I’m just . . . oh God, Alex, this is all so weird. I don’t know what’s going on.’

He was looking past me, as Jeremy made himself at home on the sofa. He had a way of spreading. ‘I didn’t realise you had company.’ His face and voice had hardened.

‘Oh! No, this is Jeremy. He’s helping me with the case. He’s a bit of an armchair crime expert.’

Jeremy was up and barrelling over, hand outstretched. He laid the other on my shoulder. Was it deliberate, marking his territory, or just unconscious? ‘Hello. Jeremy.’

Alex didn’t shake it, and didn’t say his own name. ‘And how do you know Rachel?’

It was just for a second, but I saw Jeremy hesitate on the name. Who’s Rachel?

‘Well, she’s my wife!’ He said it jokingly, probably to try and cover up the tension, but I saw the look that crossed Alex’s face.

‘Ex-wife!’ I said hastily. ‘We were married for a bit years ago – we’re good friends now.’

‘I see.’ Alex’s tone was frosty. ‘I don’t think you ever mentioned that.’

Of course I hadn’t – I’d told him nothing about my past. ‘Do you want to come in? We were just going to bed.’ Oh God. I couldn’t explain what I meant by that without digging a deeper hole.

‘I’ll leave you to it.’ I had never seen Alex so cold, and I had to remember that his wife had been stabbed, the mother of his son, and his girlfriend – was I even that? – had been implicated in the murder. And now he had turned up here to find me with another man – an ex-husband I hadn’t told him about.