This was the most enthusiastic Hannah had heard Rosie in days. She had been subdued and not her usual perky self since the break-in and had admitted she hadn’t been sleeping well. Getting the call-back was a boost she needed and Hannah was thrilled for her.

She toyed with not telling Rosie the latest developments with Jill, not wanting to burst her bubble, but if Rosie found out from Lauren or Tash and realised she had been left out of the loop, that would be worse. As the conversation turned to other topics, Hannah decided to bite the bullet and Rosie fell quiet as she learnt Jill’s death might not have been an accident.

‘So the police think that Mrs W killed her?’ she asked eventually, her voice no more than a whisper.

‘They don’t know what happened. They’re just investigating every possibility.’

‘But they said it was an accident.’

‘And it might still be,’ Hannah said, trying to placate her, even though she didn’t really believe it herself. ‘Lauren has hired a private investigator.’

‘What? Why?’

‘She’s going to try to find Mrs W. If she did kill Jill, we need to know.’

‘That’s a really bad idea. Is she going to approach Mrs W if she finds her? That could be dangerous for us all.’

Hannah could hear the panic in Rosie’s tone and tried her best to defuse it. ‘She didn’t say, but this is Lauren. She’s the most sensible one of us. She’s not going to do anything stupid.’

‘If Mrs W finds out we’re looking for her…’

‘She’s not going to find out.’

‘I don’t like any of this. I should go and talk to Lauren. I’m going to be in London for my audition. She’s still in Sevenoaks, right? It’s not that far.’

‘Just leave it, Rosie, please. I need you to keep out of this, to stay safe. Lauren’s already hired someone. Let her see what she can find out and you focus on your audition. She isn’t going to put us in danger.’

Rosie fell silent.

‘Promise me you’ll stay away.’

‘Okay, but I’m telling you, I don’t like this.’

Hannah was wishing she’d gone with her first instinct and kept Rosie in the dark. She had known the news about Jill would upset her, but she hadn’t expected her to overreact about Lauren hiring a private investigator. Lauren had always been the least tolerant of Rosie. If Rosie showed up on her doorstep, Hannah would likely get it in the neck.

‘You don’t have to like it, but I agree with Lauren. Trying to get the upper hand with Mrs W can only be a good thing.’