‘Mum,’ she said slowly. ‘Are you involved in any way with the Sinclairs? I mean, do you or did you work for them? Have they paid you to help them?’ She hadn’t been able to bring herself to say the actual words, but she knew her mum, if guilty, would know exactly what she meant.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘What about Cameron from the pub? Harry attacked him. He said the charges were dropped because there wasn’t enough evidence. He said the investigating police officer wasn’t interested and played the whole incident down.’

There was a silence before Wendy spoke. ‘Are you suggesting what I think you are?’

‘Please, just answer the question.’ Steph was surprised by the tears which filled her eyes. ‘Were you on the Sinclair payroll? Are you still? Did you know what Dominic was up to? Is that what Elizabeth had found out? Is that what got her killed? Did they pay you not to investigate Elizabeth’s death?’ She gulped down a sob. Of all the things she thought her mother was, a bent police officer was not one of them, but the words of Rob, her mum’s old work colleague, came flooding back. Wendy had been asked to leave the force; she hadn’t retired.

‘I can’t believe you’ve just asked me that!’ Wendy almost shouted down the phone. ‘How dare you?’

‘Is it true?’ asked Steph, swiping away a stray tear.

‘I’m lost for words!’ exclaimed Wendy. ‘I’m stunned.’

‘You’re not denying it, are you? Mum … please?’

The line went dead.

Steph dropped back onto the bed and allowed the sob to escape untamed. She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow. She felt betrayed. Wendy had been a shit mum, she had betrayed Steph on that level, and in all that time Steph had held on to the fact that her mum was a good police officer. She could justify her mother’s behaviour towards her on the basis that she was committed to her job, but now, to realise Wendy had been a corrupt police officer, she felt betrayed for a second time. Steph felt so unworthy. It was one thing Wendy not loving her because of her job, but it brought it to a whole new low that she didn’t love her because she loved her corrupt job more. Steph had never wished more in her life that her father was still here. Someone to comfort her, to put his arm around her and tell her it was all right, that he loved her and he would take away her pain.