Fanshawe looked at her. ‘We’ll check it out. They might have CCTV.’

Molly had her doubts; the exterior of the shop had been rundown and tatty, but what did she know? Less and less by the minute.

‘And what time did you arrive home?’

‘A little before six,’ she said, confident in this if nothing else.

He tapped his notebook with the pen. ‘Between four-thirty when you left work, and six when you arrived home, did you speak to anyone?’

‘No, there was no need to. I had intended to buy books in the shop, but the only assistant was so engrossed in his phone that he didn’t bother to look up, so I didn’t speak to him.’

‘What did you do with the books?’

Surprised, she glared at him. ‘I didn’t steal them, I dumped them on the counter and left.’

The door opened and Jack stood there, looking confused. ‘I thought I was hearing the radio,’ he said. ‘What the hell is going on?’ Panic appeared in his eyes. ‘It’s not the children?’

DI Fanshawe stood, putting his notebook and pen in his inside jacket pocket. ‘No, it’s not, Mr Chatwell. I’m sure your wife will explain everything. I think we’ve got all we need for the moment.’ He turned to look down at Molly. ‘If you would keep yourself available for further questions, we’d appreciate it. And,’ he finished, and for the first time she saw a sympathetic look in his eyes, ‘it might be in your best interest to hire a solicitor.’

‘Hire a solicitor! What the hell is going on?’ Jack repeated, as the two men passed him by.

Molly walked with them to the front door and shut it after they’d left, resting against it briefly before turning to Jack. He was looking at her as if he’d never seen her before, and he didn’t even know what it was about yet.

‘There’s something I need to tell you,’ she said, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible.

He took the same seat the inspector had, and she sat opposite. Crossing her arms, she told Jack, in much the same way she had told the police, keeping her eyes down, unwilling to see the expression on his face change from anxiousness to disbelief. When she stopped, she waited a moment for his reaction and when he said nothing, she risked looking up.

She couldn’t read his expression, he seemed stunned into immobility.

‘You tried to seduce a total stranger,’ he managed at last, each word spat out.