‘Why are you being so unpleasant? Has something happened at school today?’

‘No. And like I said, I’m not trying to be horrible. I heard Dad talking on the phone last night, saying you’d forgotten to even feed Noah. And it’s not like you’ve anything else to do in your day – you haven’t even been doing any laundry – so you shouldn’t be forgetting something so important. There must be something wrong with you.’

‘He said this? On the phone?’ Louisa’s jaw tightened. She couldn’t imagine Brian speaking about her like that. ‘Who was he talking to?’

‘Tiff, obvs. She’s the only person he speaks to lately isn’t she?’ She got up from the sofa, not making eye contact with Louisa. The door slammed closed as Emily left the room. Louisa heard her running up the stairs. She didn’t know what to think. Emily’s abrupt and hurtful manner was so unlike her. She was obviously worried, though whether her concern related to Louisa’s own behaviour, or Brian’s, Louisa didn’t know.

‘The police came today,’ Louisa told Brian as soon as he walked through the front door just after 5.30 p.m. She wanted to ask him about the phone call Emily had overheard, but thought she should begin with a less direct approach. She didn’t want to start an argument.

‘What for?’ He slipped his shoes from his feet and kicked them under the stairs, then took off his belt, the keychain clinking as he chucked that underneath the stairs too. It was his routine to discard half of his officer gear after coming home from the prison. Louisa watched him as she continued to tell him about her visit.

‘Melissa’s still missing, so they wanted a list of everyone who was at my fortieth party. I had to give them Tiff’s name, obviously, seeing as she was the one who sorted it all through my Facebook.’

‘Are you still mad at me for allowing her to do that?’ Brian reached for Louisa’s hands, taking them in his.

‘Not mad, no. I wish she hadn’t, but what’s done is done.’ Louisa drew him towards her and hugged him. She was afraid to see into his eyes when she asked the next question.

‘Did you tell Tiff I was forgetting to feed Noah?’

‘What? No, of course not.’ He pulled out of the hug and stared at her. ‘Why would you think that?’

‘Something Emily said. She was in a really strange mood when she got home from school.’ Louisa tried to make light of it now, not wanting to land Emily in it for eavesdropping.

‘Well, I didn’t say anything like that.’ He dropped his gaze from hers now. Had she caught him out in a lie?