The next day, Elliot Howard was hungry. He’d arrived at work at 10 a.m. sharp, as usual, and his morning had been no more taxing than any other, but he’d felt fidgety, on edge. He wanted to get out. So, although it wasn’t yet eleven, he decided to leave the office. A short walk away was the commercial estate where a sandwich van would sell him a nice bacon butty that he could accompany with a Styrofoam cup of tea. Telling everyone he was popping out for half an hour, he left the building.

As he strode off, Elliot didn’t notice the older woman sitting on a bench by a large hydrangea bush, even though she was wearing a dark grey cape.

Judith watched Elliot leave and a surge of adrenaline coursed through her. The coast was clear! But for how long, that was the question. She got up from the bench, picked up the carrier bag that was at her side, and bustled over to the auction house.

Striding in, she saw Elliot’s wife Daisy sitting at her desk.

‘Good morning,’ Judith announced, knowing she would have to use all of her force of personality to get what she needed.

Daisy looked surprised to see Judith.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘You won’t remember, but I saw your husband a few weeks ago.’

‘Oh I remember very well. He told me all about it. You made up a story to trap him. Something about a dress and a glass of wine.’

Judith was thrown. This was a very different Daisy to the last time they’d spoken. What on earth had changed?

‘I’m sorry?’

‘He said you’d come to spy on him.’

‘That’s not true. I merely asked him to pay for a dress he’d ruined.’

‘A lie.’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘It’s a lie. I can tell. You’re lying.’

‘I’m doing no such thing,’ Judith blustered. ‘Now if you don’t mind, I need to leave the damaged dress in your husband’s office.’

‘You can’t go in there!’ Daisy called out, but it was too late as Judith strode into Elliot’s office and tried to look at all of the framed rowing pictures on the walls.

This had been the idea she’d woken up with that morning. After all, if she was looking for a record of Elliot’s rowing past, where better to start than the walls of his office? Here was every triumphant crew he’d participated in, and they even had a list of the names of the people in the photos written on the cardboard mounts. It would be perfect for finding out if he’d ever rowed with any of the witnesses or victims in the murders.

But before Judith could get a good look, Daisy stormed in behind her.