‘Hang on a moment.’ Cindy holds up her hand. ‘Are you saying that the so-called “important appointment” you were so desperate to get to just now actually had nothing to do with Tilly?’

‘Of course it wasn’t to do with her!’ he exclaims. ‘If you must know, I was meeting a jeweller to talk about having a bespoke bracelet made for you to celebrate the baby’s birth. It was supposed to be a surprise.’

‘But you messaged her, literally minutes before, to say you couldn’t make it,’ Cindy persists. ‘I was sitting here when it arrived.’

‘No, I didn’t.’

She holds out her hand. ‘Give me your phone.’

‘Gladly.’ He pulls it out of his pocket and hands it to her. ‘You know the code.’

We all watch as Cindy unlocks the phone and checks various messaging apps. For some reason, I’m holding my breath; even though I know everything he’s just said is totally untrue, I feel suddenly like I’m the one on trial here. If I wasn’t so angry, I’d be impressed with his ability to think and lie on his feet.

‘There’s nothing here,’ Cindy announces eventually. ‘I’ve checked texts, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, which are the only messaging apps I can see.’

‘But I’ve got the text here,’ I tell her, pulling out my own phone and unlocking it so they can all see.

‘That’s not my number,’ Luke says dismissively after glancing at the screen. ‘I don’t know who that is, but it sure as hell isn’t me. Probably one of your delusional friends, in on the scam to try to make it look like me. Nice try, Tilly, but no cigar. Right, are we finished here, or does anyone else want to accuse me of something I haven’t done?’