‘No, Jen’s babysitting. You remember Jen? I finally got my visitor’s order to see James.’

‘That’s good.’ He yawned again, so wide I saw his fillings.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said drily. ‘Did I wake you?’

It was two in the afternoon.

‘No. Just a bit of a late night.’

The detritus strewn across the flat spoke volumes: empty bottles, fag ends, rolled-up notes. An electric-blue bra hung from the lampshade over the table. The matching pants weren’t visible.

‘Who’s there, Liam?’ The little voice came from the mezzanine.

‘No one. Just Rose.’

The kettle snapped off.

‘Hi, Star,’ I called. I’d hoped to catch him alone.

‘So what can I do for you?’ Liam tried a strained smile. He sounded rather like my bank manager.

‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ I was taken aback by his terse manner. ‘I didn’t realise you were – I mean – I – I won’t take up your time.’

There was an infinitesimal pause whilst he hung his head. ‘Sorry, Rose,’ he said sheepishly. ‘I don’t mean to sound—’

‘Unfriendly?’ I met his eye. ‘Because you do, a bit.’

‘I’m really sorry.’ He flushed. ‘I’ll do anything to help, you must know that.’

‘Thanks.’ But I didn’t know that, I realised. What did I really know about Liam at all? I wasn’t even quite sure why I had come. I had no plan formulated, nothing more than these nagging certainties that James’s own partner must have known something was wrong; if James was guilty as charged. If James hadn’t been set up, as he so vehemently insisted that he had. Right now, I wasn’t sure what the lesser of two evils was.

‘Liam, do you swear you don’t know what’s going on?’

‘I swear I’m as flummoxed as you about the drug thing.’ Liam had read my mind. ‘I swear. It just doesn’t seem like James’s style.’

Didn’t it? What was my husband’s style? The things that had attracted me in the past were his gung-ho spirit; his restless, reckless lust for adventure. I stared at my hands. My inevitable attraction to the proverbial bad boy. How pathetic.

‘It’s not the only reason I’ve come.’ I took a deep breath. ‘Not to put too fine a point on it, I’m broke.’

‘You can’t be.’ He stared at me uncomprehendingly. ‘The house, the flat, the—’

‘No, I mean, broke right here and now.’ The blood suffused my own face. ‘I can’t get my hands on any money. They’ve frozen the credit cards, there’s nothing in the bank accounts. Everything’s in James’s name. I’ve been a bit dozy, I suppose. Baby brain for too long.’ I took another breath. ‘I’ve been wondering, can you help me? Sub me some cash against the club or something? Something from your shared account.’