‘Claude is hurting, Sash, as I am.’ Connie rubbed the thick gold chain around her neck. ‘We’ve both been through terrible times. You could say we’re kindred spirits.’

Sasha couldn’t help herself and asked, ‘As a matter of interest, why did he and Miranda split up?’

Connie gave her a patronizing smile. ‘It’s kind of private. Claude wouldn’t like me to tell people.’

Sasha, who had played straight into her sister’s hands, blushed. She was intensely annoyed that Con had crashed together like a pair of noisy cymbals the two parts of Sasha’s life, work and home, that she had always kept separate.

‘Can you at least try to keep your hands off him while you’re in my kitchen. It’s embarrassing.’

‘Oh, Sash, bless.’ Connie made a sad face. ‘Is that why you’re upset? I’m sorry, I forget how long you and Kev have been together. It’s been donkey’s, yes? I imagine it’s been a long time since there’s been any spark between you, particularly after Kev’s… episode. You won’t remember the raw sexual urgency in the white heat of a new relationship. I’d quite forgotten myself.’ Connie spread her fingers wide, as if mimicking an explosion. ‘The physical desire, Sasha, the energy, it’s incredible.’

‘Things are fine between me and Kev,’ protested Sasha.

‘Of course they are.’ Connie gave her a smile of pity and compassion. ‘I’ve been swept away by something elemental, something…’ She searched for the right word. ‘Primal. Believe me, Claude is a hurricane, a tsunami, he’s a sexual force. I’ve never known anything like it.’

‘Ugh,’ said a voice, and Sasha looked between the banisters to see Denny was still sitting on the stairs.

‘Upstairs, Denny – now,’ Sasha told him.

Her son rolled his eyes. ‘I’m fine here.’

‘I’m not going to tell you ag—’

But then there was a sudden, ferocious banging on the front door and a voice wailed, ‘Let me in.’

Sasha and Connie looked at each other in surprise.

26

The last thing Abs wanted to do was ruin Jez’s happy afternoon by telling him Tony was dead, killed in a fire, but he didn’t know what else to do.

‘Was it on purpose?’ he’d asked the policeman on the phone. ‘Was he…’ He could barely bring himself to say the word out loud, although it was all he could think about. ‘Was he murdered?’

‘That’s not something I can confirm at this stage. The investigation is ongoing and we’re now gathering evidence.’

‘You said his house blew up.’

‘The fire damage is extensive, yes, but we have our forensic experts combing the premises and Mr Gardner’s body will be examined. Until we get both sets of results back, it’s too early to make assumptions.’