‘I still don’t understand what you’re doing here though.’ Steph was anxious to find out but Sonia was being vague. ‘Look, if you want me to investigate your daughter’s death, you’ve got to let me do it. You can’t come gatecrashing. All that’s going to do is put the Sinclairs on edge. I don’t need them getting suspicious and giving them any clue that I might be working with you.’ Sonia’s eyes remained closed. ‘Do you even understand what I’m saying?’

Sonia opened her eyes and looked at Steph. ‘Truth be told, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I don’t really know what I was hoping to achieve. I thought maybe I could cause a bit of a stir and get people talking about Elizabeth again.’

‘You need to leave it to me,’ said Steph. She could see the pain in Sonia’s eyes and a surge of sympathy welled up in Steph’s chest. ‘Please, let me find out things my way. If you go for a full-on attack, they are only going to close ranks. I need to win their confidence, not put them on their guard.’

Before Sonia could answer, the door opened and Harry walked in carrying a tray with two cups of coffee on it. ‘Thought you might like one too,’ he said to Steph.

‘Thanks.’ Steph looked at Sonia, whose eyes were once again closed. She could only assume Sonia was acting but she decided to play along with her for now.

‘How is she?’ Harry placed the tray on the side table and looked down at his mother-in-law.

Steph shrugged. ‘Sleeping it off, I guess.’

Harry let out a long sigh. ‘She never used to drink but I think what happened to Elizabeth has pushed her over the edge.’

‘It’s hardly surprising.’

‘You obviously know about what happened to my wife?’

‘Yes, and I’m sorry for your loss. I researched your family prior to coming here.’

‘Well, looks like you’ve got yourself a nice, juicy story. One for the gutter press. Get a couple of photos and you can probably make yourself a few pounds.’

Steph inwardly winced at the remark. Despite how accurate it may be, the way Harry said it made it sound callous and uncaring and she found herself challenging his assumption. ‘What makes you so sure I’m going to run a story on this?’

‘I thought that’s what all journalists did.’

‘We’re not all hacks. Some of us have integrity and, technically speaking, I’m here for PR and advertising, not scandal,’ said Steph, inwardly blanching at her contradiction. She, of course, had a hidden agenda but she wasn’t going to let Harry know that. She ignored the voice of conscience in the back of her mind.

Harry gave her a sideways look. ‘I’ll happily be proved wrong,’ he said.