‘Did you see that maniac? My God!’ She swept her arms out in a gesture of hopelessness and knocked Lily’s Lady Diana hat over her eyes. ‘He must have been driving at two hundred miles an hour.’

Lily straightened her hat and turned to face her mother-in-law.

‘Cars can’t go that fast, Nancy. We’re only doing forty-five, so all the others look fast to us.’

Joseph was aware that his wife was talking between gritted teeth.

‘Joseph! Slow the car down. Forty-five miles an hour. Oy! If God had wanted us to travel that fast he’d have given us legs like a cheetah!’

Joseph carried on driving. He knew that his mother played up her Jewish ancestry to annoy Lily. Sometimes her performance as the Jewish mama was so good he felt like videoing her in action and sending it to BT to use on their adverts. It was a far cry from when he was a child and her Jewishness could never be mentioned, even in passing. Their given name had been Markowitz, but his father had anglicised it shortly after his marriage. In the East End of London then, Jews were classed lower than the Irish. At least the Irish were Catholics. Now, though, his mother revelled in her Jewish ancestry, not because of any love for her religion but because she knew it annoyed Lily who was a Christian Scientist.

He saw the signs for Grantley and heaved a sigh of relief. Soon they would be at George’s.

Kate got in just in time for Christmas dinner. She took off her coat in the hall and listened to the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen. Dan must be on top form today. He was a born raconteur. Kate could see him in her mind’s eye sitting up at the breakfast bar, with Lizzy hanging on every word, looking for all the world as if he was in an expensive restaurant.

She shook herself. For all his faults Dan loved his daughter, she was sure of that much. But sometimes, seeing him brought it all back. All the pain and heartache he had caused her. Especially today, when she felt low, when she had so much going on with the murder inquiry and had to be lighthearted and gay because it was Christmas.

She walked into the warmth of the lounge and through the door to the kitchen. Dan’s back was to her but Lizzy and her mother were facing her. Both were laughing out loud. Seeing her daughter, in her best dress, her dark hair brushed to a shine, eyes alight with happiness, brought a lump to Kate’s throat. If she ever had to go through what Patrick Kelly had, she would die, she thought.

‘Come away in, Katie, I’ve got your dinner nice and warm here.’ Evelyn was off her chair and going to the oven.

‘I’ll do it, Mum, you sit back down.’