There was a moment of abeyance as he concluded the chick was – in the life or death sense – technically unharmed, and his eyes suddenly sparkled with delight. ‘She did not!’ he laughed.

‘Oh yes. Apparently she thought it might prefer to be a mermaid chick.’

He laughed harder and Bell smiled, loving his delight. ‘So, that will be an interesting parents’ meeting. Yours, on the other hand?’ She shrugged. ‘Really not so much.’

‘She’s crazy!’

‘She’s certainly not dull.’ She tickled his tummy, making him laugh and wriggle again. ‘Come on, champ. Let’s go hear how great you are.’ With a puff of effort, she got up from the beanbag. ‘I’ll round up the girls while you put that Lego away.’

She jogged back upstairs, straightening another picture as she passed – this time, one of Linus and the twins in the bath, their chubby, pinked faces peering over the enamel rim.

‘Elise, Tilde!’ she called, stepping into the hall and staring up through the narrow gap of the winding staircase. The girls’ rooms were on the third floor, and she’d rather not have to run all the way up there to get them. ‘Come on, it’s time to—’ Her eyes widened in surprise. ‘Hanna! You’re back.’

Hanna peered down from the first-floor landing, her hair hanging like a sheet of spun flax. ‘Only just.’

‘I – I didn’t hear you come in.’

‘I think you were in the basement. I hoped there might be time for a five-minute rest, but –’ She shrugged. ‘Anyway, I’ll take it from here. You get off. Your day has been long enough already.’

So had hers, apparently. Bell stared up at her, seeing the exhaustion on her boss’s face, and she wondered what it was like dealing with someone in the midst of a psychotic break. It suggested delusion, violence, wildness, blades, blood . . . This teacher meeting was poorly timed.

‘Thanks again, Bell. See you tomorrow.’ Hanna turned and disappeared back into her bedroom.

‘Hanna, wait,’ Bell said, bounding up the stairs two at a time and rushing to the door. She peered into the room. It was large, with what Bell always considered to be a very masculine energy. It had aubergine walls, finished with some kind of lacquer effect, and the exposed floorboards that ran throughout the house were covered with a vast charcoal-grey sheepskin rug. Hanna was standing by the end of the bed – a fine black four-poster with heavy ivory linen hangings – pulling off her shoe with the other foot and untucking her blouse from her trousers. The right way up, she looked even more drained than she had from downstairs.

‘I’ve been trying to reach you all day.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ Exhaustion suffused her voice, making it thick and slow. ‘I had to switch my cell off.’ She looked up suddenly, concern on her face. ‘Something—?’

‘No, no, the kids are fine,’ Bell said quickly, coming into the room. It was probably best that the children didn’t overhear this. ‘But I took an urgent phone call this morning, only minutes after you left.’