Grace’s fear morphed quickly into anger. Was the mess that Charles had made not bad enough on its own? Did he really have to bring her children here so that they too were tainted by his dishonesty? It was so typical of Charles to have diced with danger like that, to have pushed his luck just that little bit further to see how far it would stretch. She supposed that she shouldn’t be surprised. Of course, he was going to bring his children here. That way he could enjoy his subterfuge all the more by sharing it with others. He must have been gambling on them being too young to remember much about it. What deal had he cut with them to keep their mouths shut and not tell her? she wondered.

‘Was there anyone else in the house when you came?’ Grace asked. She couldn’t help herself. In that moment she didn’t care if it all came out. Her hunger for details of Charles’s other life suddenly seemed so much more vital to her well-being than her need to protect her children.

‘I don’t think so,’ said Hector, shaking his head slowly as he searched his memory for faded details. ‘It was just a holiday house. There was furniture, some pictures on the walls. I remember one of a woman holding a red telephone which was kind of melting. Do you remember that, LeeLee?’

Clio shook her head.

‘I can’t remember much else,’ Hector continued. ‘But I do remember the colour of the house. I’d never seen a house painted red before. Right. I’ll go and see who’s in.’

Hector flicked off his seat belt, climbed out of the car decisively and strode up the path. He rapped on the front door like a debt collector. Clio got out too, but she loitered near the car. Grace just held her breath. Was this the moment when the whole house of cards came tumbling down around them?

Nothing happened.

Hector knocked again, more loudly still. An elderly face appeared from behind a yellowing net curtain in the house next door, but nobody came to the door of number 5. Grace let out a short breath of relief. Leah was out. Thank God. Now all they had to do was leave before she got back, and then Grace could work on Hector and coax him down a different path.

‘There’s no one in,’ Hector called back.

Grace longed for him to keep his voice down. They didn’t need an audience. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Never mind. Shall we go then?’

‘Good idea,’ said Clio, opening the car door without hesitation and making to slip back in.