Adam winces. “Oh, come on! Nora would never do that to Soph and Ethan. Your family don’t really believe you killed Damon Blundy. And I don’t think Nora would actually have told me anything about Gavin, if push had come to shove.”

Has he not been paying attention? “Adam, Melissa went to the police and encouraged them to suspect me of Damon Blundy’s murder. My parents and Lee will have been behind that for sure. No way Melissa’d do it of her own accord.”

“I can see them thinking you needed a bit of sense shaking into you, but I don’t believe they honestly think you’re capable of murder.”

“I am capable of murder,” I tell him. “I just haven’t committed it yet, that’s all.”

THE POLICE HAVE SENT a woman to take my statement: Sergeant Charlotte Zailer. Tall, skinny, dark hair, bright red lipstick. Sharp dark eyes that make me wonder what she’s thinking about me, even before I’ve said anything. She looks as if she’s thinking plenty.

Her breasts are large for a skinny woman. It was the first thing I noticed about her when she walked into the holding cell Adam and I were placed in when we arrived. It’s probably not called a holding cell. The man who escorted us in here called it a meeting room. Still, it’s not a room I’d wish to spend any time in.

I don’t normally pay much attention to other women’s breasts, but Sergeant Zailer’s are hard to miss. Given what I’m about to reveal, the sight of them, even covered up, makes me feel paranoid. I am certain Adam is thinking the same thing. Perhaps we’ll laugh about it together later.

“Mr. Clements, perhaps you could encourage your wife to tell me what she came here to tell me?” says Sergeant Zailer. “I can’t wait forever.”

“Nicki . . .” Adam murmurs.

“I don’t need encouragement.” I needed to prepare myself, that’s all. And now I have. “Now that Adam knows the truth, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. You’ll disapprove of me, but I don’t mind that. I’m used to being disapproved of.”

“I already disapprove of you,” Sergeant Zailer says as if it’s a stroke of good luck. “You lied to two of my colleagues, didn’t you? You said your car was missing a side mirror on the morning that Damon Blundy was murdered. We know that’s not true. We’ve got CCTV of your car with both mirrors clearly still attached.”