Jude swallowed. What had happened? What was this about? She wanted to know but couldn’t think what questions she should ask. She was aware of Fox looking at her with interest and curiosity.

“We’re a bit puzzled by things,” she said. “We were hoping you could help us out.”

Jude couldn’t think of anything to say so Leila Fox continued.

“You’re a friend of Liam Birch, is that right?”

“I knew him when we were younger. Years ago.”

“But you’re friends?”

“We completely lost touch but we met up again a couple of days ago. Briefly.”

Leila Fox wrinkled her brow and turned to her colleague. He was sitting slightly to one side as if he were observing not only Jude but also the other detective. She looked back at Jude.

“I’m afraid I’ve got bad news for you,” she said. “Liam Birch was found dead late last night.”

As soon as she had heard that detectives were driving up from London, Jude had known it would be something bad, but even so she felt as if she had just suffered a blow to the head. The room seemed to be moving around her. She couldn’t speak. She heard a voice beside her. The uniformed officer, the woman, had put a mug of tea on the table in front of her and was urging her to drink it. She leaned forward and tried to pick the mug up, but her hand was shaking and some tea spilled so she put the mug back down. Liam was dead. He had come back into her life and now he was dead. Somewhere deep inside her a feeling dislodged itself. It felt physical, sharp and heavy. She knew it would work its way up through her. Later, she thought, not now.

“What happened?” she said at last, in a voice that sounded unfamiliar to her. “Did he have an accident?”

“No.”

Everything seemed to be happening slowly and she couldn’t think clearly. At the same time she was aware that she was being looked at, scrutinized. She could feel the detectives’ eyes on her, studying her reaction.

“What do you mean?” she managed to say.

“He was found by the side of a path on Walthamstow Marshes,” said Leila Fox. “You know that area?”

“No, I don’t,” said Jude faintly.

“It looked like a mugging that had gone wrong. Wallet and phone missing, but there was a business card in his pocket. Then a strange thing happened. We rang the number, not expecting anything. But you answered. In a cottage in Norfolk.”

“I didn’t know it was here. It was in his bag. I answered it earlier in the evening.”

“Did the caller identify themself?”

“The name came up on the screen. Erika.”

“What did this Erika want?”

“I don’t know. I ended the call.”

The detective looked at her for several seconds. “Is anyone else here?”

“No.”