But the box wasn’t on the shelf. She saw it on the floor of the wardrobe, all but a corner hidden by the hem of her red River Island dress. When she scooped the clothing aside, she saw that the lid was missing and the contents were scattered everywhere. The photo cube was damaged. Another giant piece had come free and there was a big chip in the front, right on Josie’s face. Her heart sank.

The shelf was missing a bracket in a back corner and the wrong kind of pressure could topple it. That was what had happened. But she and Nick, and even Jane, knew that.

She found DC Nabi in the kitchen, talking on his phone. She showed him the cube. ‘You broke this.’

He held up a finger because he was in mid-call. She strode over and tried to snatch the phone, but he held it away.

‘Hey, what are you doing?’

‘You broke this. It’s irreplaceable.’

‘I didn’t touch it.’

‘You knocked my wardrobe shelf down and it broke, you idiot.’

‘I’m on the phone here. You want your kid back, or what?’

‘Don’t you speak to me like that. Stay out of my things, okay? All you people.’

‘Get out of my face, missus.’

He got out of hers, though, by walking from the kitchen, phone to ear, a finger in the other to drown her out. She followed, demanding an apology. But he ignored her. He aimed for the front door and was quickly outside. He slammed it shut.

She turned to see Miller standing in the living room doorway. ‘I’m so nosey, dear. It’s what this job does to you. What did I miss?’

A polite way of asking what Anna and the DC had been arguing about. Anna was eager to tell her, because she wanted that horrible detective out of her house.

After, Miller apologised. ‘Apologies. He’s young and brash. Even worse, I’m afraid DC Nabi is one of those.’ She even made floating speech marks with her fingers.

Anna looked puzzled.

‘It’s the university graduates, dear. All those years of study, just to be slotted on to the bottom of the ladder. You should have seen the mess when young new blood started being given senior roles. Now it’s about fast-track opportunities. But CVs and interviews don’t highlight a person’s ego, I’m afraid. It’s when these gifted youngsters are firmly rooted in the job that you learn they think they know better than those with real policing experience. Believe me, Detective Constable Nabi is a bigger pain in my behind than yours.’

Miller vanished again, just as quickly, and Anna found that her anger had gone. Had that been Miller’s plan? Make Anna the listener as someone else moaned in order to calm her?