‘Well, we already know Rosie’s thoughts, but your ex-husband didn’t seem too thrilled to see me either. I hope they haven’t given you a hard time.’

‘Rosie will come around.’ That was actually more a hope than a belief. ‘She’s fragile and finds it difficult to trust.’

‘And what about the ex? What’s the story there?’

‘Josh? As we’re divorced, it’s not really any of his business.’ That was unfair. Josh cared and he was good to her. Her tone softened. ‘He worries about me, which is nice. It’s good to know he’s in my corner.’

‘You guys sound close. How come you split up?’

Hannah shrugged. ‘I guess we were both young and rushed into it, not really considering the commitment needed to make a marriage work. It didn’t last long. I was divorced when I was still in my twenties.’

‘And now you’re both older, hopefully wiser, you don’t fancy giving it another go?’

‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s not like that for us. I guess what we have figured out along the way is that we work far better as friends.’ It was the truth and Hannah forked up more of her noodles, aware that Liam was studying her. Why did he want to know about Josh and her relationship with him? Was his interest personal, or was that just wishful thinking on her part? ‘You’ve never come close to marrying, then?’ she asked, throwing the question back.

‘I was engaged once, but it didn’t work out.’

‘How so?’

‘We were incompatible, I guess.’ He looked thoughtful for a moment, glancing at the food on the table. ‘Do you want any more of the orange chicken?’

‘No, I’m good.’ Hannah handed him the dish, watching as he scooped the rest onto his plate.

Considering his job involved asking questions, he really didn’t like answering them himself.

‘So, has anything else happened over the last few days?’

The abrupt change of subject threw her, not giving Hannah an opportunity to consider how she should answer. So far, she had kept quiet about Jill’s death. She had planned on updating Liam while they ate, but seeing Jill’s name on the top page of his notes had thrown her.

‘Not really,’ she lied.

Liam actually paused eating to study her, his eyes slightly narrowed. ‘And what about the others? How did they react to Eileen vanishing?’

Did he know she had lied to him? Come to think of it, why was she lying to him?

‘They were a little freaked out.’

‘But nothing has happened to them?’

‘No.’

Hannah was pretty certain her guilt was written all over her face. She never had been any good at deceiving people. If he knew, he didn’t call her out on it, instead returning his attention back to his food.