One by one they headed for the door. Meek as lambs, she thought. She’d seen her dad’s people react exactly the same to an order from Charlie. Nipper didn’t even glance at her as he left.

‘I miss Beezer,’ she said when the door closed behind the last of them. She’d always liked ‘Uncle’ Beezer. He’d been around all her life, a fixture. And he always made her laugh, however bleak her mood.

Harlan smiled. ‘That stupid old fart? Old school, wasn’t he. Old ideas, old ways. I don’t think he liked me much.’

Milly didn’t know what to say to that. Beezer had always been viewed with tolerant affection by the family. But not by Harlan. Again she thought of what she’d found in Harlan’s room, and she thought of Beezer, and what he’d seen on the morning of baby Jake’s death.

‘Maybe he had reason not to like you,’ she said.

‘Meaning what?’ Harlan’s pale grey eyes were sharp as lasers on her face.

Milly shrugged.

‘I said, meaning what?’

‘You remember the party on the day of baby Jake’s christening? Beezer saw you coming out of the nursery in the small hours the next morning. The morning Jake was found dead.’

Harlan’s eyes narrowed. ‘Beezer did?’

‘Yeah, he did. And you never liked the baby, did you. I can remember you watching Mum and Dad with Jake, I can remember how you used to look at him.’

‘And how was that?’

‘Like you hated him.’

‘Christ, it must be a family thing,’ said Harlan. His mouth was smiling but his eyes were very cold.

‘What?’ Milly was bewildered.

Harlan lifted a hand and twirled his fingers against his temple. ‘The insanity. Like mother, like daughter, yeah?’

‘I’m not mad, Harlan. Not in the least. And if Mum ever was, it’s thanks to you.’

‘What?’

‘I found things in your room. Remember that day you were spying on Nipper and me in the pool house? I went indoors and into your room and I found . . .’

Her voice tailed away. Harlan had jumped to his feet and was across the carpet and grabbing her by the arm and hauling her up, so quickly that she didn’t have time to react. She found herself staring into those icy grey eyes from inches away and she thought, Oh Christ he’s going to kill me.

‘Tell me what you found,’ he said, shaking her. His grip on her arm was intensely painful.

‘Just . . . ow! . . . I found the tape recorder. And the tape. The baby crying. You played it to frighten Mum, didn’t you. To make her think she was going mad.’

He was silent for a moment, staring into her eyes. Then he said: ‘I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.’

‘Yes you do.’ Her voice shook.

‘No I don’t. You’re crazy, just like she is.’