It took a while for Sally to get her emotions under control. ‘Oh, my goodness, Fiona!’ Sally’s relief brought on more tears. ‘I didn’t recognise you. Thank you, thank you so much. I’d be happy to pay for your dry cleaning, of course.’

Sergeant McDermott said that wouldn’t be necessary and the police showed themselves out.

George poured two very large single malts, handed one to Sally and then stood stiffly in front of the open fireplace, as though he was standing to attention. He took a couple of sips of his whisky before speaking again. ‘He worries me, Sal. He’s not a child anymore. Tantrums from a child are very different to tantrums from a strapping young man. He’ll get himself in trouble one day and then what? We should be very grateful that it was an old friend he sent flying across the front lawn!’

But Sally was thinking about something else. ‘I wonder why he didn’t want to come back in?’

George tutted and headed for his study. ‘Go to bed. I’ve got a couple of hours’ work to do.’

When George entered his study, he noticed a faint sulphurous odour, as if something had been burning. The only thing out of place was an ornate mirror which now sat on the floor, propped against the desk, rather than on the wall behind it. The safe which was normally hidden behind the mirror had its door ajar and there was a blackened hole next to the dial from a high-powered laser. George hurried over, slamming his whisky down on to the desk as he passed. All the valuables were gone: three gold bars, three pieces of jewellery and nine stacks of £50 notes amounting to £9,000.

Sally sat beside Mathew in his bedroom. He had his headphones on, watching an episode of Game of Thrones on his computer. The volume was so loud that she could hear what the characters were saying. Mathew blinked slowly as he gradually calmed. ‘Nothing to be scared of, darling,’ she whispered. ‘Nothing to be scared of now.’

*

Jack lay in bed, hands behind his head, staring up at a small, grey stain in the corner of the ceiling. ‘I think Penny’s shower’s leaking,’ Maggie slurred. Jack looked over at her. Maggie was sitting propped up by several pillows with a huge V-shaped one on top of her on which Hannah slept soundly. Jack promised that he’d ask Mario to recommend a plumber, then got up to put the kettle on.

In the kitchen, Penny was flicking through the scanned family photos on her mobile, whilst sipping a fresh cup of tea and nibbling on a cold samosa. Jack pressed the button on his charging mobile: 4.20 a.m.