And I doubted, if I was honest with myself, that I’d hear from the enigmatic Fintan again.

But that was all right. It had to be.

Nella

I woke in the early hours to find Marcus in bed beside me, snoring lightly.

His presence didn’t really feel like any sort of comfort, it had to be said. I’d been having my doubts about everything to do with this whole police matter by the time he was due home, and I needed an ear, a shoulder. Willow was behaving very strangely, and the whole thing with Ruby turning up had freaked me out.

What exactly had Beau seen?

But Marcus had arrived back from the airport, dumped a bottle of Dior perfume on the side – a perfume I didn’t even like – kissed my head and left again, for a meeting with his campaign team.

They’d got ‘fantastic’ photos of the street party they wanted to put out ASAP: great PR apparently. ‘Man of the people’, my husband: that’s how they were selling him, as if they hadn’t learnt from the ‘hug a hoodie’ schtick. A Tory for everyone: not just the elite.

‘Don’t wait up,’ Marcus had said. He’d looked tired but alive. Elated, even. ‘Sorry, but it’ll be worth it, Nels!’

I’d tried to stay up anyway, desperate to talk, but he’d been so late back, I gave up in the end. And then, just before bed, another email came.

Yes, it had been a deeply unpleasant few days here, and he’d been absolutely no use whatsoever. Which was no surprise really, but still – it made me sad. I’d failed at this – and now I was failing at parenting too.

It was a relief, therefore, to get Melissa’s text; I wasn’t a pariah!

Yes, please, angel, I pinged back quickly, picking Marcus’s shirt off the en suite floor. 7.30 would be fab, before I take Beau to school.

A bit of deep breathing; meditation; maybe a chance to gain an ally.

Ruby

We’d agreed on a two-prong attack last night on the phone.

‘Two prawn,’ I’d quipped, giddy with the anticipation we might be able to sort this out once and for all. ‘Fancy some wontons with it?’

‘God, I’ve missed your terrible jokes.’ There’d been a smile in Melissa’s voice. ‘But listen, Ruby,’ Melissa had said, and I could hear her inhale – definitely smoking again, ‘you get that— You know I still have to make Ces my priority, right?’

‘Right.’

‘My loyalty is to her first and foremost. Blood’s thicker than vodka and all that.’

‘Of course,’ I’d agreed.

‘Even though I don’t actually share any blood with Cecilia. Though’ – she’d paused for a siren to pass – ‘you know I have a lot of love for you, don’t you, hon?’

‘Do you?’ I’d felt shy suddenly.

‘God yeah. I know this is all a total balls-up but, after Ceci, you’re my number one.’

There was a long pause while I’d tried not to cry.