‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I’ve asked around a bit. It meant begging for a few favours, so I’m going to be spending the next few months taking people I can’t stand out to dinner—but hey, what don’t I do for my friends?’

‘We all have our little burdens to bear, sister,’ said Max with a grin.

‘A little less suspense, please,’ said Norah. ‘Finding a gun under my bed has strained my patience.’

‘Dorotea Lechner’s death was an accident,’ Sandra said. ‘Sure as can be. And your school friend committed suicide. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. There wasn’t the slightest sign of external influence or anything back then. Grimm is innocent.’

There was a moment of silence.

‘How sure are you?’ Norah asked.

‘Almost a hundred per cent,’ said Sandra.

‘Why only almost?’

‘Because nothing’s ever a hundred per cent certain. But there’s no reason to doubt it, Norah. No reason at all.’

Norah suddenly had a bitter taste in her mouth and tried to wash it down with a few mouthfuls of wine.

‘What if he forced her?’ she said. ‘To kill herself, I mean.’

‘Norah, I think you’re on the wrong track,’ Max said gently.

‘Why are you so intent on clinging to that theory?’ Sandra asked. ‘It’s almost like you want him to be guilty. I mean, be glad that a murderer hasn’t escaped unpunished. It would be pretty hard to pin anything on him now, after all these years.’

Norah heard her swallow.

‘Sweetie,’ Sandra said, ‘it’s good news.’

Norah could feel Paul and Max looking at her.

‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Okay, you’re right.’

‘You still don’t sound satisfied.’

‘No,’ said Norah. ‘Because now all the goings-on in my flat make even less sense than before. If my theory was correct, it would all add up, at least. If not, it’s just completely preposterous.’

‘I don’t think the weird goings-on are all that preposterous,’ Max said. ‘When did you last get a good night’s sleep? When did you last eat properly? How many packs have you smoked this week? What if this has nothing to do with Grimm and Valerie?’

‘I know what Max means,’ Sandra said, ‘and I agree. This isn’t about Valerie. It’s about you. Someone’s trying to confuse you, unnerve you, tyrannise you. No one wants justice for your friend or any of that rubbish. You have a particularly nasty stalker, that’s all.’

Norah paused to let this sink in.

‘Someone put a loaded gun in my flat,’ she said.

‘Yes,’ said Sandra. ‘And you’ll take it to the police first thing tomorrow.’

‘I will not.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Where would that get me? I haven’t had any valuables stolen. No one can prove that I didn’t get hold of the gun myself. I’m not going to the police until I have some kind of proof.’

She thought for a second.

‘I still can’t believe Grimm reported me,’ she added, recalling her embarrassing encounter with the policewoman.

She hadn’t heard from her again, but the shock was deep-seated.