Hannah wrestled with her conscience, the weight of the lie growing inside her, hating that they had fallen into a silence. ‘Jill’s dead,’ she blurted, needing to break it.

Liam paused again, his eyes meeting hers. He didn’t look surprised or shocked, but he also didn’t admit that he already knew.

‘Jill Goldberg?’ he asked eventually, and the fact he had wanted clarification suggested perhaps he didn’t know.

‘Yes.’

He nodded curtly, perhaps annoyed that she had planned to not say anything, though he didn’t question why. ‘Tell me what you know.’

She did, which actually was very little.

‘Do you believe it was an accident?’ he pressed when she had finished.

‘I honestly don’t know.’ Hannah put down her cutlery and scrubbed her hands over her face. ‘She fell down the stairs. It could easily have been an accident, but the timing? It’s all a bit coincidental, don’t you think?’ She paused in frustration. ‘Honestly, I really have no idea. What were the circumstances? Had she been drinking? Was there anything she could have tripped over? Had anything happened to her in the days before she died?’

‘Maybe it really was just coincidence.’

‘Is that what you think, after everything that’s happened?’

‘Well, I agree the flowers had to have come from Eileen Wickham, but perhaps there is a more innocent explanation for the car that was here. Think about it. You were here alone. If the driver had really meant you harm, they had the perfect opportunity to attack you. Then there’s Rosie’s break-in. I know she told you she heard the music box, but you’ve admitted yourself, Rosie gets confused sometimes. If someone had broken into her flat, she would have been upset and not thinking clearly. Is it possible she imagined hearing the music?’

It was true; Rosie often had a distorted view and version of things, very likely a way of coping with her past trauma. The break-in would have scared the hell out of her and it was very likely her brain would struggle to cope. Was it possible she had mistaken hearing the music box?

‘Together these things create a pattern, especially when you throw in Eileen going AWOL, but we’re talking about three incidents, plus a quite likely accidental death.’

‘It’s not just three things though. Tash had someone snooping around outside her house. Then there was the message I received.’

‘What message?’

Shit.

Liam’s sharp blue gaze told Hannah she had been caught out.

She sighed, annoyed with herself for lying in the first place. ‘I received a text a couple of nights ago.’ It was still on her phone and she reached for it now. Showing him was easier than saying the words aloud. She watched him read the message, saw the flicker of irritation, then he smoothed it over.

‘Did you call the number?’

‘No. I did report everything to the police though.’