Are you sure you’re managing? Do you need money? Are you getting enough sleep? It’s all very well burying your grief in the baby, darling, but tinies are exhausting.

Then Zia gurgled a laugh. ‘Here comes Gran’s usual bluntness. “Exactly how long do you think you can keep this up? We thought you were flouting convention when you lived with that Harry Anstey but that was nothing compared to this current caper.”’

‘What caper?’ demanded Ursula.

Zia was already rifling the stack of envelopes. ‘Harry Anstey! There are letters here from him too, amongst some from Mum’s friends. I didn’t know they’d ever lived together. He visited us about once a year and it was like a mini-holiday. Mum would cook big dinners and we’d go on days out to parks or beaches but I don’t remember them acting relationshippy.’ She found the letters she wanted and pulled out the one with the earliest date. ‘This is January ’92, around the same time as Pap’s letter.’

The letter read:

Vicky, babe, I can’t bear it. I’d gladly take time off work to stay with you and help with Zia but I’m sure you hate me. Do you? Can you ever, ever forgive me?

Zia met Ursula’s fascinated gaze. ‘Why would Mum hate Harry? They were mates.’

‘Old flame?’ Ursula suggested. ‘All that “babe” and “forgive me” stuff? And living together? Perhaps he did a Brendon and got caught with his pants down.’

‘Maybe.’ Zia read on, quickly. ‘But, no, this doesn’t sound as if Harry’s begging forgiveness for straying. Listen. “If only I could relive that time when Tori disappeared! I’d sit up with her all night.”’

‘Tori disappeared?’ Ursula breathed, eyes saucers of astonishment.

Then Zia read the next few lines and almost stopped breathing. ‘“Lucia Costa has been here again. I wish Tori never gave her this address. I was in the front garden and suddenly she was there, asking about Tori, ranting that you should never have taken Zia-Lucia from her in Montelibertà. Nightmare! I was as gentle as I could be, repeating what I told her last time, that we’d lost Tori and you no longer lived locally. I do feel sorry for her because she was obviously fond of Tori but if it wasn’t for her sniffing around maybe I could bring you both home.”’

‘Jeez!’ yelped Ursula.

Zia’s breath escaped as a gasp. ‘Lucia Costa! Who on earth was she? Why was she looking for me? And what the hell does he mean about taking me from somewhere called Montelibertà?’ She grabbed a discarded A4 envelope and turned it over, scrabbling for a pen. ‘Let’s list significant points and try and piece the story together.’