‘And you think Lilith or Suzie would grass him up?’ asked Mabel, her tone incredulous. ‘Not a chance! If anything, they were probably in on it.’

This was something that Roz refused to believe. ‘Maybe Lilith, but not Suzie,’ she said determinedly. ‘I may not like the girl, but I can’t believe she’d have played a hand in covering up her own mother’s murder.’

‘Unless it was an accident,’ said Felix, who had been deep in thought up to this point. ‘I mean, say he hit her and that was that? He might not have meant to kill her, but the right punch in the wrong place, and bam, it’s all over.’

‘Sounds plausible to me,’ agreed Mabel. ‘You’ve felt the back of his hand before now, and you said yourself that when he went to strike you before, Lilith turned white, like she was frightened – possibly a case of déjà vu?’

‘That’s terrible,’ whispered Roz. ‘Poor Suzie …’

‘And she has still had to live with him, knowing what he’s done. That must be tough, even if it was an accident,’ Mabel added.

‘Explains why she didn’t want you coming to live with them,’ said Felix. ‘She was probably jealous that your mum and dad are still together, and fearful that her father – who didn’t want you to go there – might lose his temper with you too, only this time it would mean jail because the people of Dovercourt would eventually find out, and that way she’d have lost both parents.’

Roz shook her head sadly. ‘Never in a month of Sundays did I think I’d feel sorry for Suzie Haggarty.’

Felix regarded Roz with a concerned frown. ‘Don’t poke the bear, that’s what Alan says. I think you leave with as little fuss as possible, whilst at the same time being reasonable. Tell them you’ve found somewhere else to live, and that they’re expecting you in a few days’ time.’ He nodded wisely. ‘That way, they’ll know you’ve got someone waiting who’ll ask questions if you fail to show up.’

‘Good idea!’ said Mabel approvingly.

‘I should have the keys to the flat this Wednesday, which is only three days away, so if you tell them tonight it gives them plenty of time to make alternative arrangements.’

‘More than fair,’ said Mabel, ‘because I’d tell them as I was walking out the door if it were me.’

‘Me too,’ said Roz, ‘but I have to do what’s right, if not for me then for Lilith; she’s too old to be beggared about.’

‘Then that’s that settled,’ said Felix happily. ‘Tell them when you get back, and we’ll get everything put into place for Wednesday.’ He raised an eyebrow at Mabel. ‘I take it Roz will be able to start work at the laundry at a moment’s notice?’

She nodded. ‘We’re desperately short on women as it is. When I first ran the idea past Mr Woo he wanted her to start there and then, so as far as he’s concerned the sooner the better.’