‘First of all, he had debts. A lot of debts. Bank loans, credit cards and a second mortgage on his London home.’

‘Shit.’ Rachel’s brain went into overdrive as she tried to work out the implications of this new information. If Nick’s bank records showed he had serious money problems, it was possible he had other debts too that they didn’t yet know about.

‘There’s something else,’ Ade said. ‘There are also several payments over the last three years to his brother’s bank account.’

‘Why was he giving money to his brother if he didn’t have any himself?’

‘Until a year and a half ago, Nick’s finances were in a healthy state,’ Ade said. ‘Whatever money problems he’s had have only started since then.’

‘Maybe Bella can tell us why Nick gave so much money to Simon,’ Ade said. ‘We’re going to see her today, right?’

‘No time like the present,’ Rachel said. ‘I’ve already rung her work to check she’s there. Let’s go.’

Bella worked for a pharmaceutical company located in a business park just north of Brighton. Rachel told Ade to drive so that she could call Tara along the way.

‘Did Nick ever mention problems with money?’ she asked, when Tara answered.

‘I don’t think so,’ Tara said. ‘He could be a bit tight sometimes, I guess. That’s why he cancelled our trip to Chewton Glen. He said the hotel was too expensive, which was a load of rubbish because it’s actually quite reasonable for such an amazing place. But Nick didn’t see it like that. He said why waste money when we could stay somewhere just as lovely for half the price?’

Rachel had looked up Chewton Glen on the internet the other evening, half thinking she would surprise Grace with a weekend away when this case was over. One look at the eye-watering costs and she’d changed her mind.

‘But you never thought he’d cancelled because he had money worries?’

‘No. Because he didn’t. He was, like, really famous. A proper celebrity, you know? He had loads of money. I’m telling you Rachel, he was just a bit mean. He was like that with Simon too. He had a real thing about Simon always wanting money from him. I tried to get him to understand how hard it must be for Simon and Bella. I mean, they’re not exactly rolling in it. But Nick didn’t see it like that.’

‘Was it your impression too that Simon was always asking his brother for money?’ Rachel asked.

‘Maybe,’ Tara said. ‘I’m pretty sure Simon owed him some money that he hadn’t paid back. I overheard Nick speaking to Simon on the phone about it.’

‘When was this?’