‘A-ha!’ Alistair said. ‘I can tell you two were just talking about Xbox-gate.’

Jennifer sighed. ‘Don’t keep calling it that. It was a storm in a teacup.’

‘I said she should have just let them bring it,’ Alistair said. ‘One has to start making one’s own decisions sooner or later, making one’s own mistakes. Why not now? The boys are at that stage in their lives when they’re pushing boundaries, testing themselves and others, and we should encourage it as a move away from childhood into early adulthood. They’re not little boys any more.’

‘They’re still my little boys,’ Jennifer said, crossing her arms. ‘And it would be nice if you backed me up once in a while, instead of always making me be the bad cop.’

‘But you’re equally as good at being the good cop, mon chéri.’ He gave me a conspiratorial wink. ‘You’ve got that covered as well.’

‘All the same, it would be nice if you could treat Jake and Ethan as our children, rather than just a couple more patients to be studied and advised.’

Daniel burst in, out of breath, hair wet, his crocs slapping on the floor.

‘Can I borrow your camcorder, Dad? I’m going to do a house tour like Joe Sugg!’

Sean went to a drawer and handed over the little camera.

‘Be careful with it.’

‘Careful is my middle name!’ He ran out of the room.

‘Joe Sugg?’ Jennifer said. ‘Remind me?’

‘YouTuber, has eight million subscribers.’

‘Of course he does.’

Alistair gestured towards the expensively decorated surroundings.

‘The villa is absolutely sensational, isn’t it? Anyone coming for a dip?’

‘Maybe later,’ I said. ‘If the water’s still warm enough.’

‘Twenty-nine degrees, apparently – just like a warm bath. You coming, Jennifer?’

‘Have you seen Jake?’

‘Not since they went to their rooms.’

‘Could you check down by the pool for him?’

‘I’m sure the boys are fine, darling.’

‘Please?’

‘Righty-ho.’ He padded off, flip-flops clicking on the tile floor.

‘See you down at the pool?’ Jennifer said to me.

‘Sure.’

Sean, who had said nothing so far during this exchange, was taking the last few things from his suitcase.

‘Might go for another dip,’ he said, ‘when I’ve got this finished. Amazing pool.’

Jennifer either didn’t hear him, or acted as if she hadn’t.

Something was not quite right here, like a bad smell in the room that no one wanted to acknowledge. She’s acting like Sean’s not there. Why would she do that?

‘Are you going in, Kate?’ she said.

‘Maybe in a bit.’

‘Catch you later, then. I’d better go and see about my boys.’

She walked off towards the stairs.

I glanced at Sean as he hung shirts in the wardrobe.