‘Is that why I’m here?’ he had asked, his voice dripping with scornful disbelief. ‘You want money? Have some self-respect, Anna.’

‘I lost my temper. I told him that I knew what he had done and that if he didn’t give me the money, I knew an investigative journalist. He called me deluded, but Douglas, there was a moment – so quick that I could have been mistaken, but I’m sure I wasn’t – when he looked frightened. That should have rung alarm bells; men like Angus don’t scare easily. He must have had a lot to lose.’

She has a memory. She had been pulling at a leaf on an overhanging tree. It came off its twig, and she crunched it up in her hand. She had felt a twinge of fear herself then and had wondered whether to leave or press on. She had pressed on. She had talked about his wife.

‘I asked him what Lorna would think, and I mentioned that she might be interested in the fact that her husband not only defrauded his company of millions of pounds but shagged her oldest friend’s daughter. I threatened to say that he had shown an interest in me early on and that I would tell the police that the reason I had been acting up that summer was because I was being interfered with. Then he punched me.’

‘You underestimated him.’

‘I know I did.’

Her head had snapped sideways. She reeled, holding her hand to her face, fell against a tree and slid to the ground. They were deep in the shadows, well away from the main path and there was no one out walking their dogs; no one she could see, at least. She pushed herself up, steadying herself against the tree trunk, and staggered away from him. She thought he was letting her go, and started heading in the direction of the parade, her eyes glued to the faraway lights in the shop windows and the flats above, but Angus caught up with her. Before she could scream his hand was over her mouth. He swung her off the path and into the bushes, then threw her down. Her head had hit something hard, a stone or a discarded brick. She remembered the pungent smell of fox. Then the sound of footsteps hurrying away. After that, nothing.

‘What do I say when they question me?’ she asked.

‘You can’t tell anyone it was Angus. He was Nick’s boss. Nick disappeared. If the police find out it was Angus who assaulted you, they’re going to make some unwelcome connections. We have to shut this down now.’

‘But I’ve got to have a reason for being there. I left Kai alone. Either way it’s going to look bad.’

‘An online date?’