That’s when Tim knew things were about to get complicated; ugly. He knew everything about his brother, about his family – he had kept track through social media and, on rare occasions, via Barb. He knew Nick had left the family home, and that I’d been left there. He felt obligated to get me and the boys out of the house before things turned nasty. He didn’t, he said, imagine he’d fall in love with me.

‘Daddy!’ I hear excited shouts from Finley and Leo.

Nick’s here.

‘Well? How did it go?’ Barb is first to ask once the boys have released their dad from their hugs and rushed off to play again.

‘Okay.’ He smiles.

I sense the relief exude from everyone.

‘Here’s a beer.’ Richard hands his brother a bottle.

‘Cheers, I really need this.’ Nick tilts the bottle and guzzles the liquid.

‘Is it over, Nick?’ Barb asks.

‘I think so,’ he says.

We all fall quiet.

‘All the evidence produced pointed to Chloe being dead by the hand of a suspect not known to the police.’

‘So, nothing comes back to Bern?’ I ask. ‘Even though you thought all of it linked together and that’s why you assumed whoever took Chloe had taken Tim?’

‘Only, that wasn’t the case, was it. Tim wasn’t abducted – I’d seen links where there weren’t any. I wanted the evidence to fit, was desperate for it, so that’s how I interpreted what I had.’

‘But I don’t get it. Dad was the one who did it; we know that. He had her bracelet. The other trophies … I sent you the bracelet, Nick. It must’ve had Dad’s fingerprints or something, surely?’ Richard looks confused.

‘No. No fingerprints were found on the bracelet – and that was the only piece of physical evidence I had. And all we had in the first place was a box of jewellery. Without that, or our testimonies saying where they were found, it’s just another piece of the puzzle that doesn’t quite fit.’

‘Okay, well it’s strange, but I suppose you’re right. If they’re not in possession of all the facts, then …’ I allow my sentence to trail off. It still doesn’t make complete sense to me – I think Nick is leaving something out. But no one, including me, wants to push him on it. We’re all just happy it’s over.

‘Exactly. And now I move on to another cold case.’ He sighs.

‘But, well done, Nick,’ I say to try to lighten the mood. ‘At least the family have an element of closure, eh? And maybe the rest will follow.’ His gaze doesn’t meet mine. He gives a curt nod and moves away, walking to the barbecue. Richard follows and they both begin serving the food.

‘You okay, Amber?’ Davina leans close and whispers in my ear.