Joanne didn’t know what to say, so she filled the awkward silence that followed Caroline’s trashing of Josh by offering her tea.

‘Please,’ Caroline said, settling herself at the table. ‘We need to talk.’

That ominous declaration filled Joanne with horror. What could Caroline possibly want to talk to her about?

‘Can you use my china and teapot?’ Caroline said. ‘And the Earl Grey, of course.’

Joanne nodded absent-mindedly as she reached into the cupboard for the cups and saucers, only to recall they wouldn’t be there, because they’d been broken the day before.

She turned, an apology on her lips, but before she could say anything, Caroline, with a quick examination of her face, said, ‘You look really pale. Come and sit down. I’ll make the tea.’

Deciding she really did need to sit down, Joanne sank on to a chair. ‘I’m sorry. Your cups got knocked over and broken. I was going to try and replace them,’ she managed.

There was a moment when it looked like Caroline might comment on that, before she said, ‘Never mind. I have others I can bring up.’

All went silent as Caroline set about putting a tray together like the last time. Joanne could almost hear her brain working. As for herself, it wasn’t her brain but her stomach that was churning over. The tea might well be the final straw.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. When she opened them again, Caroline was sitting opposite, observing her.

‘I was with Greg the night Ailsa disappeared,’ she said. ‘I’m his alibi. I told him I have his back . . .’

Joanne tried to focus. Was there an inaudible ‘unless’ at the end of that sentence? She chose to pretend not.

‘So they should let him out soon?’

Caroline sat back in the chair. ‘I need to go up there, be interviewed and give my statement first.’ She paused. ‘Meanwhile, you need to leave here.’

Joanne’s nauseated brain didn’t catch on at first. All she could think about was whether she needed to head for the sink or the bathroom. The sink won.

The retching was loud and violent, the little amount of tea she’d managed to swallow mixed with bile and an earlier coffee. When it was over, she turned on the cold tap and splashed her face with water. Then carefully patted it dry with the tea towel, putting off the moment when she would need to turn and face Caroline.

Eventually she did. ‘I had crab claws last night at the hotel. Shellfish sometimes upsets my stomach. Plus I didn’t get much sleep after what happened.’

Caroline looked almost sympathetic.

‘Look, this isn’t your fight. You should go.’