‘No, she had a son, Johnny. Always arguing from what I recall and then he ran off. I think actually that upset Dorothy more than she admitted.’

‘Where did he go?’

‘Paris.’

‘Paris? Why?’

‘He fancied himself as an artist.’

An artist. Her mind flies to the attic, to the paintings and the brushes. ‘Was he any good?’

‘How should I know? He was a time-waster.’ A look of dislike crosses Victor’s face.

No love lost there then.

‘Where is she now?’

‘The mother? Probably still in the house.’

‘No, she was in Flat 3, wasn’t she? There’s a Mrs Hyde there now.’

‘That’s her,’ says Victor waving his cigarette around. ‘Married again.’

‘Ah.’ Marina hadn’t thought of that. Dorothy Light had become Dorothy Hyde. ‘What happened to Mr Hyde?’

‘Did a runner from what I remember. A wastrel, living off her and the social.’

‘What about the first husband?’

‘Left her too – at least he wasn’t living in the house in 1964 if that’s your question. He did visit though. Now he was a nasty piece of work, as well as a wastrel. Older than her, he marched at Cable Street, on the wrong side – a Blackshirt.’

Marina had learned about Cable Street at school. Fascists marching through the East End, but ultimately stopped by local people. Victor goes up in her estimation for condemning the Blackshirts.

‘You said that she and Kenneth were close.’

He laughs again. ‘I’m pretty sure she was his paramour.’

Strange choice of words. In fact, he has an archaic way of speaking. Maybe it’s an attempt to make himself seem clever.

‘And his spy of course. I swear she used to snoop in people’s flats.’

‘She had keys?’

‘That’s what I thought.’

‘So why do you think she’s stayed in the house for so long?’

‘I told you, she was pretty cut up about her son’s disappearing trick. I suspect she’s still waiting for him to come home. Maybe she reckons he won’t find her if she moves.’ He gives a hollow laugh. ‘I can’t see him turning up though, not after all these years.’

‘So, they’re still estranged?’

‘I guess so.’ He stubs out his cigarette and looks at his watch. ‘No offence, but time and tide and all that.’

Marina quickly asks him about Mrs Kolinski, but he doesn’t recall much about her. ‘She was foreign,’ is all he can say.

‘And the landlord, Kenneth, was next on the scene. Is that right?’

‘I think so, but like I said I was absent on the day.’

‘What was Kenneth like?’

‘Tough as an old goat. Spent most of his youth inside.’

‘Prison?’

‘Yes.’

‘What for?’

‘Robbery.’ He lights another cigarette, takes a drag and blows out a smoke ring. ‘The thing is, he had a reputation.’

‘What for?’

‘Double-crossing his mates.’

‘How?’