He sits down, his head in his hands. His long fingers brushing through his hair before he straightens himself and takes a deep breath.

‘You can’t hit someone over a prayer book, no matter how much you might want to. She’s grieving too, you know. Emotions are running high, but you have got to at least keep them in check. And, God, I know the news about the divorce must be a shock, but this is all so messed up. All of it. I don’t think anything would surprise me any more. And they can’t pin it on you if you didn’t do it,’ he says. ‘I’ll not let that happen.’

I take his hand. ‘I don’t see how you can stop it, Alex. I’m not stupid. I know all the signs are pointing at me. This is how it goes, you know. Every time I think I have a chance at happiness …’

I feel a tear slide down my cheek, which I brush away. It hurts; my skin is still so raw from all the tears I’ve cried over the last few days. I know I’m falling apart. Physically and mentally. And there’s nothing that can be done to fix it.

I look at him. He looks as wretched as I do. I’m wracked with guilt for putting him through all this. He did not sign up for any of this. This exceeds the ‘better or worse’ clause of our marriage by miles.

‘There is so much going on here. I know it. Whispers and the doll … and the prayer book … and Ciara. She’s poison but she plays the game well. The police don’t even seem to have glanced in her direction.’

‘They’re watching us all, Heidi. Don’t you see that? We’re all going through this. I know you’re overwhelmed and they’ve told me, you know, how things can get tough for you when you feel under pressure. Are you sure you’re not just reading into things that aren’t there?’

I look up at him. The look on his face is one I’m familiar with from other people. That mollifying look – the ‘there, there’ glance. The expression that says, ‘I think she might be losing it.’ Seeing it on Alex’s face – the one person in this world who I thought I could trust to be 100 per cent on my side – is devastating.

I shake my head slowly. ‘Why can’t you see what she is trying to do? Why can’t you see how she is setting me up for all this? You don’t know her like I do, Alex. You don’t know how cruel, how dangerous she can be. She hates me! She has always hated me. And she’s planting seeds, and whispering in ears, and before I know it, I’ll be the one in jail. They all want it to be me. No one will come to my defence.’

‘It won’t come to that, Heidi. Sure, we’re several days in now and even the police say they are no further forwards. The coroner has released his body. It will all settle down.’