‘No. Oh, I don’t know. Maybe there was, but I have no idea what it could possibly be. Believe me, I’ve played out every single scenario in my mind and I keep coming back to that wretched family.’

‘I don’t mean to sound harsh, but for you just to think something isn’t enough. That’s probably why the police came to the conclusion they did.’ Now wasn’t the time to mention her mother had been the investigating officer, Steph decided. She’d only mention it if it became an issue if she decided to take this job on. And at the moment, that was a big if.

‘You see, I believe Elizabeth wanted a divorce and Harry was refusing to agree to one. Probably didn’t want to lose any money in a divorce settlement, unlike his brother, who had to pay his ex-wife a fortune.’

‘I know, but murder her? That’s a bit extreme.’ She saw the disappointment in Sonia’s eyes.

Sonia picked up the phone Steph had left on the table. She scrolled through and passed the phone back to Steph. ‘Listen to the next voicemail and you tell me you need more evidence.’ She sat back in the chair, her arms folded across her chest.

Steph put the mobile to her ear and listened. It was Elizabeth again; her words were almost a whisper and there was a slight slur to them. ‘It’s me. Your daughter. The one stranded in the fucking middle of nowhere. Not for much longer. I tell you, Mum, I’ve had enough of this lot. I’m totally fed up with Harry. God knows why I ever married him in the first place. Anyway, the shit is going to hit the fan now. I’m going to tell the sorry lot of them about the affair. I can’t wait to see the look on their faces. And then, I’m coming home.’

The message ended abruptly. Steph looked at Sonia. ‘Had she been drinking?’

‘Possibly. Probably, but it doesn’t matter. She wasn’t that drunk and she said she was going to tell the others about the affair. She sent me that message the night before she died.’

‘Why did Elizabeth leave voicemails? Why didn’t she speak to you herself?’

‘I was a care worker. I worked unsociable hours. Both times she left a message I was on a call-out. I can’t always answer my phone when I’m working.’

‘And she never discussed this with you in person?’

‘No. This all happened in the week leading up to her death. Like I said, every time I tried to call back to speak to her, she was busy.’

‘What about friends? Who were they? Is there anyone there who could back up your suspicions? Someone she would have confided in?’