‘Told me? What do you mean told me? I’m not a long-lost relation, Rebecca, I was her bloody father!’

His cold and controlling tone had her riled up again and she instantly started shouting without allowing her brain to engage first gear. ‘Father? If it weren’t for you, she’d still be alive now, you bastard. You talked her into moving out of here into one of your flea-ridden flats. If you had just stayed away . . . My God, she would still be here.’

Lance’s characteristic smirk followed by the false laugh had Rebecca spitting feathers. ‘Get out, Lance. Just get out and stay the fuck away!’

‘I really thought you were just a puppet, you know that? I thought Alastair had his claws into you, pulling a few of your strings, and your father and that twat of a brother of yours were pulling the other ones.’ He stepped back and looked her up and down. ‘I guess I was wrong, though. You are a complete Punch and Judy act all of your own making. Before I leave, I want you to know that unless you pay me half of my assets, which I’ve only allowed you to hang on to because it was the roof over my daughter’s head, I’ll take you to court. I want the house either on the market or the money transferred to my account, PDQ. The cottage in Wales I also want sold. I’ll be at the funeral, so best you be upstanding in front of the press, because if any snide remarks come my way, I’ll let the whole media circus create a full-length feature film all about you!’ he spat.

He turned to walk away, but as he reached the kitchen door, he spun back. ‘Oh, and for your information, Kendall asked me for a place to stay. I didn’t want her to leave here, but she was insistent, and you know why, don’t you? It’s because she couldn’t stand you anymore.’ His eyes flicked across to Alastair. ‘Or you!’

With that, he marched ahead to the front door, followed by Poppy. As he pulled the door open, she caught his arm. ‘Um, can I ask you something?’

He stopped dead and faced her, his anger clearly shown by those hooded eyes. ‘What?’

‘Kendall? Was she happy in that flat before she . . . ?’ Her eyes brimmed with tears.