‘So, they’re very sorry to hear about the fire. They’ll be waiting for the report from the fire department before they can pay out on any claims, but accommodation, clothing, etc. are all covered if it is accidental or criminal arson. She made it clear that if it was arson caused by an occupant it wouldn’t be covered.’

‘Kids were in bed. I don’t think that will be an issue.’

‘You know how slippery they are. Remember how long it took when the Audi was stolen?’

‘I remember,’ I say, pulling him against me. He doesn’t squeeze me back, I can feel the fatigue in his bones.

‘Let’s try to get some rest,’ he says.

‘Who do you think would do it? Who would put that picture there?’

‘I don’t know. I really don’t think they were trying to hurt us,’ he says. ‘Why else would they leave a picture, why would they try to scare us like that, if they thought we would all die? And they left the door open, right?’

‘That’s the most concerning part,’ I say. ‘It’s like it was a plan. I don’t know why anyone would do this, but with a little luck, hopefully they left fingerprints or DNA or something.’

‘Then they can lock the bastard up and drop the key in a volcano,’ he says, with a tired huff of laughter.

If only it were that simple.

I set my alarm for nine. I won’t run in the morning, but I’ll still go to the office. We tuck ourselves into the crisp sheets. Soon I hear the slow rhythmic breathing of Gabe sleeping. I plug my headphones in and listen to a podcast, hoping to distract my mind enough to fall asleep.

•

Gabe wakes me. I slept through my alarm, or rather I woke, stabbed blindly at my phone to silence it and fell straight back to sleep. It’s ten to ten, which means Cormac will be walking into the practice in ten minutes.

‘Shit,’ I say. ‘I’ve got to run. I’ll Uber so you can use my car.’ I pull on my track pants and t-shirt. I’m ordering an Uber when Gabe speaks.

‘Take the day off, Margot. You need to rest; we’ve got to sort out the insurance.’

I pause, thinking about Cormac. He is such an intriguing case and we’re making progress. ‘No, I’ve got to go. You’re not going to work?’

‘No,’ he says. ‘I’ve already called for the day off. The kids are staying here, too.’

‘Where are they?’

‘July is on the phone to Hudson in bed.’

She posted a video of the fire to Instagram, and Mum saw it so that’s how she found out. I’ve had others calling and messaging. Evan is down at breakfast.’