‘That was just Anthea’s way. She didn’t mean anything. How do you get on with your mother’s . . . er . . . friends?’

‘Boyfriends, you mean? She never has any. I know she gets asked out on dates, but she never goes. My friend’s dad wanted to go out with her, and she said no.’

‘Your friend’s dad!’ Dan’s voice was scandalised.

‘Oh, don’t worry, her mum’s been dead for ages. Oh, that sounds terrible, but you know what I mean.’

‘Yeah, I know what you mean.’

They smiled at one another.

‘Oh, Dad, it’s great to have you here like this.’

‘It’s great to be here, love.’

If it rested with him, he’d be here for a long time to come. He was convinced that his Katie still held a torch for him, and he’d do everything he could to get that torch blazing again.

The first part of the plan was getting his mother-in-law on his side. He’d start working on that straight away.

Kate and Patrick sat on the large settee in Patrick’s lounge; both were drinking coffee. Patrick had been talking about himself for over an hour and Kate let him.

All the stories about him, true and imagined, had not prepared her for the almost brutal attractiveness that he had in abundance. His dark brown hair, just beginning to grey at the temples, gave him a distinguished air and softened his rugged features. Dark-skinned and full lipped, he had eyes that were a deep penetrating blue, and from the way he moved Kate could see that he had looked after himself well over the years. Only a slight paunch belied his age. He was a very attractive man. Too attractive, in fact, for his own good. And Kate had a sneaking suspicion that under other circumstances he would deliberately make her aware of the fact.

Patrick Kelly loved women. But he had only really loved two with all his heart and soul. His wife, Renée, and his daughter, Mandy. Mandy who was lying now in a mortuary, waiting to be dissected by the pathologist’s scalpel.

Kate closed her eyes. Patrick’s voice was a low drone in her ears. All this unhappiness and confusion pouring out of him like a dam.

Patrick rose from his seat and picked up a bottle of brandy. He brought it back together with two Waterford crystal glasses. Like everything else in the house, they were of the best quality, but as he poured out two generous measures, Kate was made aware that money meant very little when you had no one to share it with.