Heather was about five foot six with a model’s figure and dark, unruly wet hair. She had a thin, angular face and eyes that were heavy and red, presumably from where she’d been crying.

She sat next to her mother and fixed James with a nervous stare.

‘Is everything they’ve said on the news true?’ she said. ‘Was Charlotte stabbed?’

James gave a slow nod. ‘Sadly, she was, Miss Redgrave, but I can’t really say anything beyond that. The reason we’re here is that we know you had two telephone conversations with your friend shortly before she was killed on Christmas Eve. We’d like to know what they were about.’

She took a deep breath and pushed her fingers through her hair.

‘I want you to know that I was going to call the police when I heard that you were looking for Neil, but I was too scared,’ she said.

‘And why was that?’ James asked.

She looked at her mother, who wore a puzzled expression, and then turned back to James.

‘Because I didn’t want to be blamed for what happened there,’ she said. Tears suddenly broke free from her eyes and she buried her head against her mother’s shoulder.

‘What on earth are you talking about?’ her mother said, clearly shocked. ‘What haven’t you told me?’

Heather sobbed for almost a minute while her mother stroked her hair and the two detectives waited patiently for her to stop. When eventually she did, she sat up straight and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

‘I’m sorry but I can’t stop thinking that I shouldn’t have phoned Charlotte when I did,’ she said. ‘If I hadn’t told her what Neil did … she might still be here.’

James exchanged a look with Abbott and then leaned forward, noting the pain on Heather’s face.

‘You need to understand, Miss Redgrave, that we don’t know who killed the Batemans,’ he said. ‘Neil Savage is one of several people we’re hoping to question.’

‘When I saw his picture on the news, I thought he must have done it and that’s the reason he’s run away.’

James shook his head. ‘It’s not as simple as that. So please don’t blame yourself for anything. But you do need to talk us through what you said to Charlotte.’

Her mother put an arm around her shoulders. ‘It’s important that you tell the police everything, darling,’ she said. ‘And there’s no need to be scared.’

It was another thirty seconds before the words tumbled out of Heather’s mouth.