“I’ve thought of that.”

Johnny put the glass down and then put his hands on my face, ran them down to my neck. I willed myself to stay entirely still, although my skin was crawling with dread. “So who do you think killed her?” he said at last.

“I don’t know.”

“What if it was me?”

“Was it?” I asked.

He raised his right hand from my neck and slapped me across the face so hard that tears came to my eyes. I didn’t speak.

“That’s for lying to me,” he said. He got up.

“Wait,” I said, as he turned to go. “I need to show you something.”

“What?”

I went over to the little chest, opened the drawer and drew out the menu card. Without saying anything I passed it to him and he stared at it.

“I don’t understand,” he said eventually. “Why the fuck have you got this?”

“It was found among Greg’s possessions. It was what made me believe he was having an affair with Milena. It even has the date on it. But then you said something that made me realize you were with her on the twelfth of September.”

“But this is mine.”

“What do you mean, yours?”

“She sent it to me.”

“She can’t have done.”

“You think I wouldn’t remember?”

“But it’s to “‘Darling G.’”

He examined it for a few seconds. “No. That’s just a continuation of the J—you can even see the join if you look closely.”

“How come it was in Greg’s stuff,” I asked weakly, “if she sent it to you?”

“I sent it back. I sent everything that had ever belonged to her back when she finished it—marched around to her house and dumped it in her lap.”

“So it was in her possession, not yours.”

“I thought she’d just burn it or something.”

I rubbed my face, trying to concentrate. “How did it get from her house to here?”

Johnny shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

“Maybe it was Frances all the time,” I said drearily.

“What the fuck are you on about now?”

“Frances was having an affair too,” I said. “I thought maybe—”

“I don’t want to hear what you thought about Frances,” he said angrily. “She’s dead. Killed by some maniac. Let her alone, do you hear me? You’ve done enough. She was a good woman. Now leave her in peace.”

“Are you going to call the police?” I said.

“I think that’s for you to do, don’t you?” he said. “At the moment they’re curious. Soon they’ll be suspicious. Don’t leave it too long. Or I’ll make up your mind for you.”

As soon as he was gone, I rang Gwen. I didn’t even say hello. “Have the police been in touch with you?” I asked.