‘No. You aren’t serious?’ Amy put down her tea.

‘I am. Mike and Pete used to drink in the same pub, and Mike told Pete one night after a few. Never said who it was though. But he gave the impression it was someone he knew.’

‘Wow.’ Maggie shook her head. ‘I don’t believe it.’

‘I didn’t either. Mike is well fit. Why would she cheat on him?’ Kim raised her shoulders and held out her hands.

‘Poor Mike. I had no idea. I thought he was a drunk. That was what she told Marion.’

‘Bollocks, all of it!’ Kim picked up her glass of wine and sipped it thoughtfully. ‘You know, now she’s gone, I wonder if I ever really knew her.’

‘I wonder if anyone did,’ Amy said thoughtfully.

‘What I did know I didn’t like. I know you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead and all that, but it’s the truth. She rubbed people up the wrong way and had an ego the size of Russia.’

‘Yeah, that’s true,’ Kim said, swishing the wine around in her glass, ‘but she was the heart and soul of the book club. It will be weird without her.’

‘I’ve had enough. I’m leaving it,’ Amy added.

‘Really, chick, why?’

‘Two words: Shirley and Janet. I’ve had it up to here. I don’t want to have to suck it up anymore. Toni’s death has just brought it home to me. Life is too short. They’re nasty people and I don’t want to be around them.’ Amy said this knowing very well that Kim and Shirley got on. ‘I’m not asking anyone to pick sides, I know you like Shirl, but I just don’t want to play that game anymore.’

‘I didn’t know she’d got under your skin so bad,’ Kim admitted.

‘It’s a lot of things that have led to this. I don’t know. I don’t trust her, I don’t like her, and I don’t want to spend any more time in her company.’

‘I think that’s fair enough.’ Maggie could always be relied upon to support her friend.

‘You know,’ Amy mused, ‘the person I really don’t want to upset is Marion. She’s a kind soul and she’ll be gutted to see the book club fall apart.’

‘I suppose it’s to be expected – when one of the group is murdered it’s likely to put a strain on everything.’ Maggie began to pour herself a cup of tea. She had refused the offer of a glass of wine from Kim, who was doing a good job of polishing off the bottle she’d brought with her on her own.

The other ladies nodded in agreement.

‘But things were messed up before Toni was killed,’ Kim added.