‘That’s the easy part,’ Judith said. ‘Ezra’s will is dated two weeks before he died. He would have been in terrible pain towards the end. And drugged up on morphine and confused. I’ve seen someone die of cancer. The last two weeks of great aunt Betty’s life, she didn’t know who she was, or what day of the week it was. She spent a lot of the time hallucinating from the drugs she was on in the hospice. I’d have been able to get her to sign anything if I’d been minded to.’

‘Just like Andy Bishop did with Ezra.’

‘He wrote a new will that left Ezra’s whole estate to him, got Ezra to sign it, and then faked a couple of signatures afterwards to make it look as though it had been witnessed at the time. And who’d ever find out?’

‘Until their names were published in the obituaries column a year later in the Borlasian magazine.’

‘So it’s like I’ve been saying,’ Becks said. ‘Andy Bishop’s our killer. He has to be.’

‘I think you could well be right,’ Judith said. ‘It’s the only thing that makes sense.’

‘But how did Iqbal find out about the forged witnesses?’ Suzie asked.

‘I’ve got a theory about that,’ Judith said. ‘And if I’m right, it will explain why he had to die, and why Andy was the person who killed him. Hold on.’

Judith went over to her mobile, picked it up and dialled a number.

‘Tanika, I hope you don’t mind me ringing,’ Judith said.

‘Not at all,’ Tanika said on the other end of the line. ‘Is everything all right?’

‘More than all right, thank you. But I’ve got a question to ask.’

‘Okay, but you know you can’t ask about my meeting with Elliot Howard, don’t you?’

‘Oh, don’t worry, it’s got nothing to do with Elliot Howard.’

‘Or the murder cases.’

‘What’s that?’

‘You also can’t ask about any of the murder cases.’

‘What makes you think I’m going to do that?’

‘Because why else would you ring me?’

‘Did Iqbal Kassam go to William Borlase’s Grammar School?’

‘That’s to do with the case.’

‘Of course it’s to do with the case!’

‘Then I can’t tell you.’

‘It’s a simple yes or no answer, it could be very important. But he did, didn’t he?’

Judith waited what felt like an eternity before Tanika replied.

‘I suppose it’s reasonably public domain information,’ she eventually said. ‘But you’re right, Mr Kassam’s parents spent one year in Marlow when he was twelve years old. He spent all of his Year Seven at Borlase’s Grammar School. I guess it’s why he moved back here after his parents died. He had a connection to Marlow.’