‘Yes, well, no point raking over the past, is there?’

‘No. But I was hoping we could at least be friends, for Rory’s sake, if not ours.’

Eventually, David said, ‘Angie, I loved you. All I wanted to do was to make you and Rory happy. And you completely screwed me over. So no, Angie, I can’t see us ever becoming “friends”.’

‘No. Well, it’s not been a good time for either of us, David.’

‘Well, you seem to have come out of it considerably better than me. You have Rory and you now own the house outright, don’t you? You’re a wealthy woman, very eligible.’

He heard her choke back a sob. ‘Do you really think I’m that much of a bitch?’

‘Yes. Bring Rory over anytime on Thursday. I’ll be here.’

As he put the phone down, there was a knock at the door.

‘Shit! Who can that be?’ he mumbled, as he went to open it.

‘Oh, it’s you,’ he said, when he saw Inspector Hunter standing on the doorstep. ‘You’ve not come to question me over the mysterious disappearance of a gnome from the neighbours’ garden, have you? Because I didn’t do it, honest, Officer.’

Jazz ignored the comment. She supposed he was entitled to his sarcasm. ‘Can I come in?’

‘I suppose so.’ He opened the door wider so she could step inside and led her into the kitchen. ‘Sorry about that, Inspector,’ he sighed. ‘I just spoke to Angie on the phone and it upset me.’

‘I understand. Can I sit down?’ Jazz asked, eyeing the dirty plates by the sink and the general domestic chaos.

‘Suit yourself,’ he shrugged. ‘I’ll stand.’

‘Look, David, I can only apologise on behalf of my colleagues for your treatment. However, you must remember it was you who turned yourself in originally and confessed to the murder of Charlie Cavendish.’

‘I know.’ David ran a hand through his hair. ‘Stupid thing to do really, but the thought of Rory being banged up for what was merely a mistake on his part made me feel I had to do something.’

‘Well, he’s very lucky to have a father who loves him so much he was prepared to go to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. I admire you, David, I really do. Don’t know whether I’d have had the guts to do the same thing in your shoes. But then,’ Jazz smiled wryly, ‘I know what prisons are like.’

‘At the time, Inspector, it didn’t seem like a bad alternative to the life I was living. I mean’ – he waved his arms to indicate the room – ‘hardly Buckingham Palace, is it? Not compared to where my wife and son are living, anyway. That’s all I wanted – a happy childhood for Rory.’ He sighed.

‘Did you have a happy childhood, David?’ she asked.

‘Very. It got a bit lonely sometimes, as I was the only one. I was adopted as a baby, you see. That’s why I wanted Rory to have brothers and sisters, be part of a proper family.’