I sat on the stone bench for a while in the back garden and deliberated. I decided I’d go to my parents and stay the night before bringing the children back with me tomorrow. It was funny, all this time I thought I’d enjoy the rest, the peace – but now I just missed them desperately: the twins’ plump little bodies, Alicia’s tuneless singing, the constant noise, banging doors, strident cartoons, even the fighting.

I’d pack a bag and drive straight to Derby; I’d be there by tea-time. I couldn’t sit around here waiting, and the Kattan thing was going nowhere.

Infinitely cheered, I unlocked the front door. Sunlight danced across the hall, the heady smell of the hyacinths in the kitchen pervading the air and—

There was an almighty crash from somewhere in the depths of the house.

‘Hello?’

The cat screeched across the hall and I laughed tremulously. ‘Bloody hell, Tigger. Take it easy, would you?’

He crouched with reproachful eyes beneath the kitchen table. I put the kettle on and thought about trying James again.

There was another crash from the direction of the studio.

I took a deep breath, picked up the nearest weapon – a rolling pin apparently – and made my way to the studio door. The light was on.

‘Whoever you are, I’m calling the police,’ I said loudly, and pushed open the door.

Liam was rifling through a box-file that he’d dragged from the shelf, his back to me. He jumped a foot in the air.

‘Rosie.’ He turned, flushing guiltily. ‘Christ, you scared me.’

‘I could say the same.’ I sank down on a stool shaped like a pill bottle. ‘Flipping heck.’

‘I didn’t think you were in.’

‘No, well, I wasn’t. God, I’ve had enough shocks to last me a lifetime this weekend.’

‘What do you mean, shocks?’ Liam put the file down and shut it. He was sweating, but it was cold in here, the radiators turned off whilst James was away.

‘Nothing. Forget it.’ I shook my head. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘James called me,’ he muttered. ‘He needs the details of the Barclays account.’

‘Why didn’t you just ring me?’ I looked at him, puzzled. ‘I could have found them for you.’

‘I didn’t want to bother you.’ His big ruddy face was a picture of sweaty confusion. ‘I, er, I thought you were away. I still had the spare key from Christmas. And we were passing.’

‘Passing?’

Liam lived in East London.

‘I’m taking Star away for the night. Swanky hotel with a spa up near Cheltenham. James recomm—’ He stopped mid-sentence. ‘Well, apparently it’s meant to be very nice.’

‘Did you get my message?’ I asked. Outside I could hear a car pulling up in the drive and I felt a sudden leap inside, like a slippery fish in my chest. It was hope, I realised later.