‘He was horrified when he saw both of us on the doorstep. We went in and she read him the riot act. Told him he was abusing his position and if he didn’t stop she would inform both the Cabinet Secretary and Lady Amanda.’

I am smiling. My sister. ‘How did Kendall react?’

‘He tried to bluff it out. Insisted we were both consenting adults, that he’d done nothing wrong, that his private life was nobody’s business. Then Clare dropped your name into the conversation, reminded him that you work for a newspaper that takes a close interest in what goes on at the Treasury. That settled it.’

Me? She mentioned me? For the first time in I don’t know how long, I feel good about myself. ‘I wish we’d had that conversation.’ Jeremy gives me a puzzled look. ‘Clare left a message for me not long before she died and I didn’t see it till it was too late to call her back.’

He shakes his head. ‘It must have been about something else. This was a bluff and Clare knew it. I would never have confirmed any of what happened to anyone in the media, even you. My mum would die if it came out. And maybe I would have had to leave the Treasury.’

I glance at the photos again. ‘Going back to that evening: you left, and then she left?’

‘She made Kendall apologise to me. Which he did. He was pathetic, actually. Grovelling. Said he would leave me alone. And then I went home. She stayed longer, to sort a few other things out, she told me, though she didn’t say what.’

I take a swig of wine and allow myself to feel pride in my sister’s courage. I wonder if I’ll ever forgive myself for not seeing her message in time. Why didn’t you speak to me sooner? Why didn’t you just call me and together we’d have worked it out?

Kendall must have been horrified that she knew about his affair with Jeremy. It was knowledge that gave her the power to bring him down. Again, I can’t kill the thought that it would have been so easy for him to remove and hide the bike helmet.

‘Jeremy, you and I both loved Clare. I need to know why she died. I’ve never needed anything so much. Are you sure you’ve told me everything that is relevant?’ I take another gulp of the red. ‘Who knew about you and Kendall?’

‘No one, I think. Except Clare.’

‘Are you sure. Remember, the Globe was stalking you. They clearly had an idea. Did anyone from the paper contact you?’

‘No, but . . .’ Jeremy trails off. ‘A couple of days later, Kendall called the two of us into his office. Someone tipped him off the Globe had pictures of us leaving his house.’

‘Who tipped him off?’