As we combine the gingerbread ingredients, sifting, mixing, beating and kneading, my mind keeps returning to Madeline and Kim. I’m not sure what to do for the best. Instead of feeling excited for the party this weekend, I’m beginning to wish I’d never suggested having it in the first place. Everything feels as though it’s coming apart. My husband is distant, my sister-in-law is avoiding me, my dad is in his own little world. And to top it all off, my sister might be back in Shaftesbury after ten years but wants nothing to do with me. The only person who seems to have my back these days is Celia. But even she isn’t taking sides. Which is probably a good thing. She’s one of those people who never bad-mouths others and always tries to see the good in them. I wish I could be more like that.

‘Okay, you two, we need to wrap the dough and put it in the fridge for fifteen minutes.’ I take a roll of cling film out of the drawer just as my phone starts ringing. Normally, I’d ignore it while I’m in the middle of doing something with the children, but it’s not showing a number on the screen so it might be the police. ‘I’m just going to take this, won’t be a minute.’

‘Okay,’ Alice replies, still absorbed in kneading the dough.

I leave the kitchen and answer the call, making my way into the living room. ‘Hello?’

As soon as I speak, the line goes dead, just a dial tone humming at me down the line. I wonder if I might have inadvertently pressed a button and cut them off. Hopefully they’ll ring back.

‘Mum!’ Alice calls from the kitchen. ‘Are you coming?’

‘In a minute!’ I decide to ring Sergeant Graham, just in case it was him with some vital information about my sister.

‘Shall we put the dough in the fridge?’

‘Wrap it in cling film first!’

I should go back in there and supervise, but instead, I put a call through to the station. The duty officer answers straight away and tells me that there’s no news yet, and that it wasn’t them who called me. I thank him and end the call.