‘It seems so.’ She sipped her tea, uncomfortable with the truth. ‘Your mother was too distressed to properly speak to the police yesterday. I’m not sure it is something she will ever want to talk about. It’s cruel, just cruel.’ Francesca shook her head.

‘What have the police said?’

‘Not much. They just wanted to know if he had any enemies, that sort of thing.’ She fixed her nephew with beady eyes.

‘What did you tell them?’ Andrew felt a small sprinkling of sweat emerge on his brow.

‘We told them he didn’t have any,’ she said steadily.

‘Good.’ Andrew leant back in his chair and picked at a bit of dirt on his well-worn trainers. ‘That’s good.’

‘You should go to the station and speak to them. You might as well get it all out in the open. They will find out.’

Andrew folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head. ‘What has my past got to do with this?’

‘I just think the police will want to discuss it with you.’

‘Why?’

‘Because your father has been murdered and you have a criminal record.’ There was no embarrassment in her statement.

‘Oh, I see. Good old Andrew, black sheep of the family. He has a record so he must have done it. Do you know how fucking stupid you sound right now?’ He spat the words across the table.

Francesca did not approve of bad language, and his vitriol left her feeling shocked and uncomfortable, so much so that she felt unable to speak for a few moments.

Andrew stood up. ‘What’s Ma’s room number?’

‘I told you, she’s resting.’ Francesca enjoyed exerting the small amount of power she had left.

‘We may not have got on, but he was my dad. I have a right to see my ma. Which room?’ He put his hands flat on the table and leant over his aunt.

‘One hundred and five.’ Francesca gave in, feeling intimidated by her nephew’s tall frame. He was, if anything, rather skinny, but his height meant that he towered over her.

Andrew gave a sarcastic grin as a thank you and then left the restaurant and made his way towards the lifts.

At Parkside Police Station, Palmer came bursting in to Barrett’s office like an over-excited puppy.

‘Sir, I’ve just had a call from Mrs Wade’s sister. She says we should speak with the son, Andrew. He’s in the city now and he has a criminal record.’

‘Send a car over to fetch him.’ Barrett continued typing on his computer without looking up. ‘And do it now.’

Andrew had only been with his mother for fifteen minutes before there was a knock on the hotel room door.

Veronica Wade, who was too distressed to get out of bed, remained lying there as Andrew opened the door.

Palmer stood holding his badge and introduced himself.