‘Who is it?’

There was another pause. ‘My brother, Miles. He’s always had a taste for younger women. Anna was at university with his daughter and the girls became friends. Miles met Anna at a party at his home in Edinburgh. They had a fling and she got pregnant. She refused to get rid of the child. Miles asked me to sort things out with her, make sure that she was OK and had somewhere to live.’ Tom paused again. ‘I think he did care for her in his own way.’

‘But he was a high-profile MP?’ Perez said. ‘He didn’t want the fact that he’d fathered a child with a young student to be made public?’

‘Of course he didn’t.’ Tom sounded bitter. ‘He has hopes of a government job after the election. His wife’s a wealthy woman and he doesn’t want to upset her. I had to promise to keep Anna’s child secret.’

‘But you tried to help her?’

‘Of course! I went to see her in Edinburgh to check she had everything she needed. She wouldn’t take money from Miles. Then she applied for a job at the school here, and I was happy to let her rent the house I own in the village.’ Tom paused. ‘She was a great young woman, full of life and energy. I thought Miles had treated her badly and that she could use some support. Perhaps you know that her parents have problems of their own.’

‘You let Lucy be taken into care,’ Perez said. ‘She’s your niece. How could you do that?’

Tom didn’t answer and Perez changed tack.

‘Sarah saw you together,’ he said. ‘It was in the health centre. You and Lucy looked so alike that Sarah assumed you were the girl’s father.’

Tom frowned. ‘So that’s why she started the petition to get Anna sacked from the school.’ He sounded shocked. ‘I didn’t realise. She tried to talk to me about Anna, but I could only think about my promise to my brother.’ He stopped in his tracks again.

Looking back towards Stonebridge, Perez could see the small grey houses and the wood smoke rising from the chimneys in the still air. It looked very peaceful.

‘What does this mean?’ Tom said. He turned and started to pace back towards the village. ‘Does it help you find out who killed Anna?’

Perez didn’t know what to say to that. He had no idea how important these new facts were. He needed time to think about what he’d just learned.

‘I’m not sure. But I do know that you have to talk to Sarah,’ he said. ‘It’s making her ill thinking that you might have had a child with a younger woman. She’ll keep your brother’s secret. If you still think it’s a secret worth keeping . . .’

‘Of course you’re right.’ Tom was walking so quickly now that he was almost running. ‘I’ve just been so stupid. I’ll go home and see her this afternoon. I have a couple of hours free. We can talk while the children are in school.’