Marlow:And you didn’t consider why you might be being watched?

Janie:No. I had no clue.

Marlow:Tell me about your relationship with Miles Morgan.

Janie:(pauses) There’s little to tell.

Marlow:But he came back into your life very recently. In fact, only on Monday. The day of the fire.

Janie:Yes.

Marlow:Do you think this is a coincidence?

Janie:Are you asking me if I think it was him who followed me? Maybe, yes. Maybe it was.

Marlow:You don’t sound particularly sure.

Janie:Like I’ve told you, I didn’t ever get the chance to see whoever it was.

Marlow:Janie, there are too many things that don’t add up for me.

Janie:I didn’t set fire to that building. I wouldn’t have done that. You need to believe me.

Marlow:Yet you were there. You admit you were at the quay on Monday night, though you can’t give me any other explanation than that you were looking at the building?

Janie:I know. I just don’t know what else to say, because that’s all I was doing.

Marlow:And then there are the other people who were also there with you that night, aren’t there?
     I need you to tell me. What on earth were you doing there with them? Mia Anderson? Laura Denning? Why were the three of you at Lymington Quay on Monday evening while your husband’s offices were burning down?

Chapter Thirty-One

The Woods’ party – three days before the fire

Laura gripped the wine glass between her fingers as she stumbled on a patch of grass. She had spent the last two hours making small talk, loitering on the edge of conversations and accepting refills whenever someone appeared with a bottle. All the while she’d been keeping an eye on Mia, waiting for the right chance to talk to her.

Mia had been moving seamlessly from one person to another, clinking glasses, throwing her head back in laughter. Right now she was talking earnestly to Mike Lewis, leaning towards him, surely closer than Mike would like. Laura held her glass to her lips as she studied the woman in front of her, wondering what she was playing at.

‘Penny for them.’

‘Huh?’

‘Your thoughts.’ Patrick was standing beside her; she hadn’t even heard him approach.

‘They’re nothing much,’ Laura said.

‘No Nate tonight?’

‘No, he couldn’t – we couldn’t get a babysitter.’

‘That’s a shame. My daughter can always come over, if you ever need.’

Laura nodded and finished the last of her wine, still holding the empty glass against her lips as she turned back to Mia. It wasn’t a shame in the end, as Nate had clearly been in no mood for the party and if he was here he’d only be tracking her, making sure she didn’t cause a fuss.