“Maybe later,” he said, clicking around the screen with one finger. “Hey, have you seen the memes about Essie on Instagram?”

“What are those?”

“People put together photos and quotes, and post them online.” He held out his phone for Liv to see.

I’ve given up on boyfriends and husbands. I have affairs with my characters instead. I can tell them what to do and they don’t cheat on me.

I always hoped to have children one day. I try to see my books as my offspring and my readers as my family instead.

If you meet something insurmountable, don’t try and fight it. It will only leave you with bruises. The trick is to outsmart it and do something it wouldn’t expect.

If you’re not enjoying a book, there’s a solution for that. Close it up and move on. It’s not the end of the world.

I’m drawn to books with happy endings. Who wants to spend time reading a story where things don’t work out?

It would be splendid to be remembered for my books. However, I’d prefer to be remembered kindly.

“She must have said those things a long time ago,” Liv said. “She refuses to do interviews these days.” The last quote struck her as particularly poignant. She would always remember Essie’s kindness.

She took some blank sheets of paper from the printer and looked in Essie’s desk drawer for a pen. There was a mass of elastic bands, staples, pencils, erasers and scraps of torn paper. Among all the stuff she found Anthony’s business card. Written on the back was.

Call me anytime, day or night. A xxx

Liv recognized his handwriting from his attempt to write a sonnet. She assumed the solicitor didn’t offer this personal touch to all his clients. It had been five weeks since they’d last spoken, and she assumed he must have been busy juggling his family and work. She decided to call him.

After passing a copy of The Moon on the Water to Johnny, she closed the kitchen door to keep her conversation private.

“Liv? Hello,” Anthony said, sounding pleased to hear from her.

“Hi. Are you still in Bologna? Is your father-in-law okay?”

“He’s feeling slightly better, thank you. I’m still working remotely in Italy but hope to be back home at the beginning of September. Shall we meet then?” he said. “You can update me on Essie’s novel. Have you heard anything more from the journalist?”

“Not personally, but she’s been speaking to people who know Essie. I’ve just got back from Dubfest in Croatia.”

“You went there?” he said.

“Yes. I had work to do.”

“Hmm,” he said, leaving a long pause. “Perhaps you should come over to my office, to talk? I’ll look at my diary when I get back to the UK.”