‘Sit down, for goodness sake, before you fall down,’ Amelia said, throwing her coat across the back of a chair. ‘Where’s Jack?’

Almost embarrassed at his absence, Molly shrugged. ‘He’s had to go to a meeting – just for a couple of hours. He didn’t want to go,’ she lied, ‘but I insisted.’

Amelia raised an eyebrow. ‘Odd,’ she said, and waved towards the kitchen. ‘I’ll make some tea.’

‘I’m feeling a little groggy, actually. I think it’s the after-effects of the medication I had in the hospital.’ Happy to leave Amelia to it, Molly sat and watched, weighing her up. Her fingers slid into her trouser pocket and felt for the inspector’s card, flicking the edge of it rhythmically. Like a worry stone, it gave her a certain amount of relief.

Amelia bustled about the kitchen finding everything she needed and a few minutes later, carried a laden tray over to the coffee table. ‘Tea, biscuits, cake that’s a couple of days past its best before date but looks okay.’ She smiled and took the seat beside her.

Molly didn’t want anything, but she accepted the tea and biscuit that was handed to her, shaking her head at the cake. Taking a sip of the tea, she leaned forward and put it on the table. ‘The police came to see you?’

Amelia nodded. ‘A rather pleasant inspector, name of Fanshawe, and a rather creepy little man, whose name I can’t recall.’

‘Carstairs, I bet. He is creepy, isn’t he? I thought it was because he didn’t like me. He didn’t approve of my seduction attempt.’

‘Sanctimonious hypocrite.’ Amelia reached for a slice of cake, looking at it suspiciously for a moment before taking a bite. ‘It’s okay,’ she said, holding it up, ‘you should have a piece.’ When Molly shook her head, she reached out her free hand and rested it on her arm. ‘Darling, what an ordeal you’ve had.’

‘What did the police say?’ Molly was curious as to what her friend knew.