‘A choice of any of our wood veneer finishes. Although for a young person, parents sometimes prefer to go for a paper veneer, which we do have to make a charge for. These can be painted a bright colour – a favourite colour, perhaps – or they can be printed with virtually anything: photographs, views, scenes, characters. I can give you links to a few websites that might give you ideas. If he had a favourite toy or TV show, or football team, perhaps?’

Roy turned to Cleo. ‘What about the colours of Bayern Munich?’

She nodded. ‘Yes,’ she said distantly. ‘That could be nice.’

‘Another thing,’ the funeral director said, ‘I don’t know whether you or anyone else would like to visit Bruno? If so, we would suggest our embalmer has a look at him to make sure he is at his best?’

‘We’ve already said our goodbyes,’ Grace said.

Again Cleo turned to Roy. ‘What about his grandparents?’

‘No, they’ve said their goodbyes at the hospital. We won’t be seeing them until the funeral, which is probably for the best.’ He had a long, difficult history with Sandy’s parents, who had, for all the years Sandy had been missing, made out that they believed he had murdered her. They’d taken their suspicions to the highest level of Sussex Police, resulting in Cassian Pewe ordering a ground-penetrating radar search of the garden of his and Sandy’s former house in Hove. He would never forget how this twisted, horrible couple had lied to him rather than tell him she had been alive and living in Munich in Germany.

‘Once you’ve made your choice of coffin,’ Thomas Greenhaisen said, ‘you might consider whether you would like a framed photo or a favourite toy or book to go in it with him. Also, if I may suggest, youngsters are usually dressed in their own clothes. And a final thing for you both to consider is the frill colour of the coffin. It’s usually cream, but we can accommodate any other colour – whatever you would like. With a small extra cost,’ he added and nodded, his face the very picture of phoney sympathy, Grace thought. And remembered an expression he’d once heard: If you can fake sincerity, the rest is easy.

‘OK, Mr Greenhaisen, thank you,’ Grace said, cutting his spiel short. ‘My wife and I will go away and have a think about all these options.’

‘Of course, of course, decisions of this nature must never be hurried.’

‘Indeed,’ Grace said.

Mr Greenhaisen raised a perfect, soft hand that had clearly never actually dug a grave. ‘I would just say that – very sadly in our city – there is always a waiting list for venues and officiates, so the sooner you and Mrs Grace can make your decisions, the sooner we can make the necessary bookings – subject, of course, to the Coroner.’

‘I appreciate that,’ Roy Grace said, irked by the man’s sudden pushiness. ‘But I don’t think our son is in any hurry. Would you be?’