After a few moments, she blew her nose with real delicacy and waved a hand at me. ‘Go on then,’ she said.

‘And,’ I took a breath, ‘Anya thinks he knew some quite bad people and that it’s possible he got into trouble in some way after they split up.’

‘Trouble?’ said Irene in a voice that was bubbly with tears. ‘What sort of trouble?’

‘Well … I mean, if he owed them money or something, and he couldn’t pay it back.’ Then, in a rush, I said once again, ‘I’m so sorry to have to say all these difficult things.’

She nodded briskly, eyes tightly shut, then said, ‘Does your wife know any names for these people?’

The slight hope on her face now was hard to look at so, coward that I am, I glanced down at my lap.

‘No,’ I said, ‘I’m afraid not. She didn’t really …’

‘… didn’t generally mix in those sorts of circles,’ she said quietly. ‘Of course not.’

There was a deep silence then, and the ticking of a clock in the hallway seemed to crash in my ears. I picked up my teacup and forced down the cold drink. It seemed rude to leave it there when she had gone to all that trouble.

Irene nodded and muttered, ‘Right, well, okay,’ and then got up, walking over to a sideboard that was filled with various figurines and trinkets, including a glass bell that said ‘World’s Best Mum’.

She came back brandishing a faded news cutting, which she handed to me.

‘Does this mean anything to you?’ she said. ‘I wanted to show it your wife but she didn’t exactly give me the chance.’

Puzzled, I took the piece of paper from her and studied what it said.

TRAIN DEATH AT WATERBEACH

15th August 2003

A woman struck by a train at Waterbeach Station on Friday night has been identified as Alice Adebayo, 48, a midwife and mother of two. Mrs Adebayo died at the scene from her injuries. She leaves behind a husband, Ekow, 51, and two teenage boys, Kojo and Xoese. Friends and well-wishers have paid tribute, laying flowers and cards at the entrance to the station concourse. She had worked at The Rosie Hospital since it opened in 1983 and was described by colleague Helen Mills, a Senior Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, as ‘one of the most positive, warm people I have ever met. She touched the lives of the people she worked with and every patient was treated with the utmost professionalism, care and devotion. We at The Rosie are absolutely devastated to lose her.’

I looked up at Irene, who was standing over me.

‘We used to live right by that station,’ she said, ‘I remembered when it happened. Terrible tragedy it was. But I don’t understand why my son had this cutting in his possession.’

‘I’m really sorry,’ I said, with a frown. ‘This has nothing to do with us.’