‘What do you think happened?’ he asked carefully.

Griff seemed irritated. ‘How do I know? But Roche thinks the whole thing could get quite long and drawn out. We won’t be able to have a funeral. That’s what Liv can’t stand. One of the things.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Dan again, at a loss to imagine how either of them must feel. He had seen parents grieve the death of children twice before. For something people called ‘unthinkable’, it seemed to happen a lot. The first was a younger cousin who had drowned, and the second a school friend who had been knifed. Dan knew the best thing was to keep quiet. There was nothing to say.

‘Fucking French!’ said Griff, out of nowhere. There was rage in his small, gleaming eyes and gathering in his voice. ‘Today was outrageous. I recorded everything. I won’t stand for it.’

‘You recorded it?’

‘I record all my meetings.’ He tapped his pocket. ‘Inappropriate questions. Personal insinuations. Badgering. We’re going to sort them out.’

Dan believed him. ‘Good.’

‘And I just don’t want to get involved.’

‘Involved?’

‘Everyone gets into it, don’t they? The authorities.’ He said the word with contempt. ‘This will just bring them all out again, like flies on shit. Government agencies. The fucking press. Whomever. They’re all connected. Delving into my affairs. They’re like sharks. Vibrations in the water, see?’ He held up his hand, fingers shaking to demonstrate. ‘And they all come round. I do too well for myself one year – vibration in the water. Alex goes into the Priory, vibration in the water. Round they come. Circling. Seeing what they can take. You saw it today in the paper. They smell blood or money, and they come after you.’

Dan didn’t know what to say.

‘Look,’ said Griff, ‘I’m retired, virtually. I’ve got about half the money I used to. Less than. I’m downsizing. Sold off a lot of property. I’m old news. What do they want with me?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Dan, transfixed.

‘I just want some peace,’ said Griff. ‘I just want to feel safe, and secure, and have my family feel safe and secure. That’s all I want.’

‘I understand.’

Griff had relieved himself of a burden. He softened. Tiredly, he looked around, and Dan, looking with him, seemed to see what he saw, feel as he felt; protective of this precious world. Griff turned back to him, and looked directly into his eyes.

‘You know I’ve got nothing to hide,’ he said.

‘No. Sure,’ said Dan uncomfortably.