Janie leaned back and sighed. Maybe she should talk to Harry. Possibly he had the right to know that one day they would not be married any longer, she thought as she continued to stare at the twinkling light of the water reflected onto the glass building and wondered what it would be like to tell her husband that she wanted a divorce.

When she looked back at the girls, the cold realisation hit her that she didn’t think she could do it. But I don’t love him, she wanted to say. I don’t love your father. The guilt of it made her sick. Not because of him, she realised, but because of them. Because if she ever did leave him, it would break their tiny hearts.

‘Girls, let’s go and get some fish and chips,’ she said, feigning brightness as she grabbed their hands to help them return the crabs to the water. It was six-fifteen already and she didn’t want to linger any longer.

She pulled herself up, flinging her phone in the bag, and turned towards the car as a shadow flitted out of sight behind it. A shiver ran down the length of her spine and for a moment the sound of the girls behind her, chattering and gathering their buckets together, became a muffled blur.

‘Mummy!’ Lottie screeched, tugging at her sleeve and banging the bucket into her thigh. ‘Can you take it for me?’

Janie snapped back to them and shook her head. She was imagining it. Nothing more. No one was watching her.

Thursday 16 May

Interview between DC Emily Marlow and Anna Halshaw, following the fire on Monday 13 May

Marlow:Did Janie tell you she was being followed?

Anna:(pause) Janie was? No. God, no, not at all.

Marlow:She tells us she has been, though it appears no one else knew about it. She hadn’t told a soul.

Anna:Who was following her?

Marlow:We don’t know for sure.

Anna:I’m, I mean I’m …

Marlow:Shocked?

Anna:Well, yes, totally. I mean something like that – she must have been terrified. I can’t believe she didn’t tell me.

Marlow:That’s the thing. Don’t you think it’s strange that she didn’t?

Anna:I don’t know what you mean.

Marlow:Well, something as important as believing you’re being watched … it seems odd she’s only brought this up now.

Anna:You think she’s lying about it?

Marlow:I’m asking what you think.

Anna:No. (shakes head) No. Janie wouldn’t do that. There must be a reason she kept it to herself. Janie doesn’t lie.

Marlow:Didn’t she lie about where she was on Monday night, Anna? When you were babysitting for her?

Anna:I’m sure that was a misunderstanding. I thought she’d said yoga, but …

Marlow:And didn’t you try to get hold of her at – seven-o-five p.m.?