Judith adored her bedroom. The wood panels were painted light green, and there was a majestic four-poster bed with a tapestry of a medieval hunting scene as its canopy. That the room was covered in old clothes, half-finished meals, and piles of discarded newspapers and magazines didn’t bother her one jot. Judith never noticed the mess. In fact, she let it encompass her in the same way that she let the river embrace her when she went swimming. The messier her bedroom, the more she felt cocooned and safe.

The following morning, Judith was woken by the sound of the phone ringing. She reached for it, blearily seeing it had just gone 10 a.m.

‘Hello,’ she croaked.

‘Good morning,’ an efficient female voice said. ‘My name’s Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik from the Maidenhead police station. I’m following up on the incident you reported at Mr Dunwoody’s property last night.’

‘Ah, thank you for calling,’ Judith said, still somewhat groggily.

The detective sergeant explained that she’d sent a constable to inspect Mr Dunwoody’s house and garden. He’d not found anything of note, so she was ringing to inform Judith that there was nothing to worry about.

‘But I know what I heard!’ Judith said.

‘Yes, the report said you heard a gunshot.’

‘Not just a gunshot. I heard someone call out something like “Hey, no!” and then I heard the gunshot.’

‘But I understand you were swimming in the river at the time. Are you sure it was in fact a gunshot?’

Judith was now fully awake, and thoroughly irritated.

‘I grew up on a farm. I know what a gun sounds like.’

‘But what if it was something else?’

‘Like what?’

‘Well, for example, maybe it was a car backfiring?’

This hadn’t occurred to Judith. She thought for a moment before answering.

‘No. I’m sure I’d have known if it were a car. It was a gunshot. I take it this constable of yours reported that Stefan’s car is still parked at his house?’

‘Why do you mention that?’

‘Because I presume Stefan didn’t answer his phone when you called him, did he?’

‘No, I’m sorry, I can’t quite follow your line of thought there. What phone call?’

‘You must have phoned him last night.’

‘I’m afraid I’m not allowed to share specific details with you.’

‘But a neighbour reports a shooting at a house, of course you phoned to check up on him. And the fact you haven’t told me he answered suggests to me that he didn’t answer. So, seeing as his car is still on his driveway, well, that tells me that something’s up with him. After all, if you’re at home, you answer your phone. If you’re away, you take your car. At least someone who owned a car would. I don’t.’

DS Malik didn’t respond immediately.