He shrugged, and scratched his chin while he collected his thoughts. ‘It wasn’t an easy situation for any of us, but he was a decent bloke and we aren’t the only ones to have a blended family.’ He gave a sad shrug. ‘You just have to get on with it.’ He gestured in the direction of the girls on the swings. ‘He never missed his turn to have Amanda, and she adores him. Which is all that matters, I guess.’

I sensed a but. ‘Any niggles? Rows?’

‘I may as well be frank. It did annoy me that he and Nicola were so close, and I suppose I felt a bit jealous.’ He gathered his thoughts. ‘She said it was over between them but I could see he still loved her.’ He sat down beside me. ‘And I loved her too, so I put up with it. The poor guy had been through hell, so I wasn’t about to start making life more difficult for him.’ He fiddled with a button on his jacket. ‘But it’s quite hard knowing you’re the consolation prize.’

I nodded. Unless he was a good actor, his mixed feelings seemed genuine. But feeling sorry for a person didn’t stop someone from killing them if there were other motivating factors. ‘When did you last see Patrick?’

‘Last weekend. He had Amanda.’

‘Did your wife have any spats with him recently?’

He faced me. Pulled his hand through his hair while he considered the question. ‘Not that I’m aware of. But he wasn’t our favourite subject so you’re best off asking her.’ His gaze slipped back to the swings, and melancholy seemed to consume him. ‘As far as I saw, they all got on really well.’ He let out a sigh. ‘Even Sally adored him.’ The resentment in his voice was unmistakeable.

I couldn’t help wondering whether Alan Grant might have wanted Patrick out of the way. And if he had, why on earth would he go to such lengths to link his death to the arson on Brick Lane?

Dan, 2.30 p.m.

Dan, 2.30 p.m.