Lenore retreats in on herself slightly. Settles into the couch, like she’ll be here a while. This is good. ‘Well,’ she says, ‘sure, I knew her. Everyone did. I knew her since she was Catherine.’

‘Did you know her well?’ I ask.

‘We certainly weren’t good friends, but we’d both lived here our whole lives and, well, every child knew each other because there were so few of us.’ She speaks almost like she’s narrating a play, a considered, theatrical inflection to her words.

‘Was there anyone she was especially close to?’

Lenore shakes her head, brow furrowed. ‘The most solitary girl I’ve ever met. Everyone knew about her temper and stayed away. Except, well …’

‘Who?’

‘Mary Anne was the only one who was never afraid to really dig into her. They fought constantly.’

‘What did they fight about?’

‘Oh, nobody could ever keep it straight. They were always at each other’s throats. Everything. Might as well have been arguing about the colour of the sky. They were friends, I suppose, but the sort of friends who have another falling-out every other week. When they got along, they got along swimmingly. Roxy always had a way with words and Mary Anne had quite severe dyslexia; Roxy couldn’t keep her mouth shut to save her life and Mary Anne was more of a people-pleaser. They did different things for each other. But as we grew up the fights got worse. Messier. Knew more ways to hurt each other, it seemed.’

Hurt each other.

‘Kids,’ she says flatly, ‘I’d love to keep answering your questions, but before we get too immersed in this, I’d like to ask you one thing. Do you really think I don’t know what you’re doing here?’

We’re quiet.

I can practically feel Ellis vibrating with anxiety beside me. Even I’m taken aback.

‘Hm?’ she says. ‘I understand the implications of what you’re asking me.’ She cracks another handful of cashews between her teeth. ‘You’re trying to find out what happened.’

I feel Ellis look at me, undoubtedly panicked, no poker face.

I might as well try it. ‘Yes,’ I say. ‘Yes. That is what we’re doing.’

‘And how exactly were you led in the direction of my home?’

‘Frank mentioned you,’ I said.

‘Oh really? And what did Frank have to say about me?’

I look into her eyes. ‘That you had it in for her.’

Lenore scoffs, a high-pitched bark of a sound. ‘Ah, so I’m a suspect, am I?’

Ellis is trying his best. ‘Just o-of interest.’

‘That senile old coot has no idea what he’s talking about. Did Frank mention giving Roxy money under unusual circumstances? Bet he hasn’t shared that damning titbit of information with you.’

‘Money? For what?’

Lenore shrugs. ‘Who knows? I just remember him complaining, letting it slip at the time.’

‘Were they friends? Why would he give her money?’