Then, like a photograph that hasn’t fully developed, the outline of Geoffrey’s body flashes in front of my eyes again. I’m standing in the hallway of Holly Maze House and he’s lying at my feet, blood pooling beneath his head.

Stop it, I tell myself. Stop torturing yourself.

My legs feel weak as I leave the bedroom and walk down the stairs. I take deep breaths, recalling the advice from Anne’s mindfulness class. Be in the present. Keep calm.

If I just focus on the next hour or so, then I can keep the panic at bay, clear my head, and then, afterwards, try to work out what to do.

But as I walk into the kitchen, still focusing on my breathing, my legs almost give way. For there, in front of me, as large as life, is Geoffrey Rivers.

NEW LEAD IN CHILDREN’S AUTHOR MURDER CASE

The headline appears across the TV screen, temporarily obscuring Geoffrey’s photo. Georgie and Jack’s large flat-screen TV that hangs on the wall in the snug off the kitchen is a hangover from the days when Imogen and Harry would huddle up in here to watch movies with their friends. Nowadays, it’s rarely used, yet today someone has turned on the news channel and set the volume to loud. I hunt around for the remote control amongst the cushions and as I do so the sharp voice of the female newsreader drills into my skull:

‘Police investigating the murder of Mr Rivers who, in his day, sold over sixty million books worldwide, are now exploring a link between his death and the sale of his lavish Hampstead home. It is thought that Mr Rivers had opted to show potential buyers round the property himself rather than handing over the task to the estate agent. We spoke to Viv Shackleton from the National Association of Estate Agents who said that, after the Suzy Lamplugh case, tighter rules were brought in to ensure the safety of estate agents and vendors. However …’

I grab the remote control and switch off the TV. My body feels like ice as I sit down at the table, my back to the French doors, and try to make sense of what I have just heard. I’m the new lead, that’s what that report was saying. Though I may have gone to the police station voluntarily, the police have not given up. They’re closing in on me. And, even worse, Connor has photographic evidence of me returning to the scene and placing the stolen items next to the gravestones.