‘I think you do know,’ the officer said.

Nick looked as if he wanted to shout at me but was forcing it down. ‘It was nothing,’ I insisted.

‘Tell me.’ The policeman moved between me and Nick, blocking him. I lifted my hand to Nick, but he made no motion to take it.

I turned over in my mind those little signs that had made me think Nick would be there: the perfume in his office and how it had once been in my home; Nick’s absence from the surgery that Charles wouldn’t explain. The magazine.

But now I knew my suspicions had been wrong they seemed so transparent and weightless that a breeze would blow them away.

‘It was … nothing.’

‘Nothing?’

‘There was a package at his office. Perfume. The one she wears.’ For a second, I actually looked to the officer for confirmation that that did, truly, look suspicious, just so I wouldn’t feel so idiotic and disloyal.

‘What?’ Nick burst out, amazement in his voice. ‘The … I bought a bottle for you. Not her brand, a different one. I thought you would like it.’

It was awful. I was a patient in a madhouse being watched by the sane.

The policeman tapped his pencil on his notepad. ‘Where were you today, Dr Cawson?’ he asked.

Nick looked like he was about to explode at the implication. ‘I went to my surgery and saw my patients. At lunchtime I went for a walk and then to a house call. Comrade Taggan, Deputy Secretary at the Department of Labour. I was there for an hour and a half. After that I returned to my surgery and your station called to say what had happened. I came straight here. Feel free to check.’

The policeman nodded. ‘Long house call. It was at his home?’

‘Yes.’

‘Was anyone else there?’

‘Of course not. It was a medical consultation.’ Nick became exasperated. ‘For God’s sake, this was just an accident. They happen all the time.’

‘He’s not married? Housekeeper? No one else?’

Nick’s face darkened. ‘He is married. His wife was not there. He has no housekeeper as far as I’m aware. He is a senior government official and also Secretary of his Party branch. I should think his word would be sufficient.’

‘Thank you.’ The officer nodded. ‘Would you please wait downstairs?’ Nick glanced at me as he passed. I saw anger in his eyes. I couldn’t tell who had inspired it but some of it was probably directed at me. I think I would have felt better if he had torn into me. ‘Do you work, Mrs Cawson?’

‘I’m a teacher. English.’

‘Which school?’