‘Sorry about last night. Think I might have spouted a load of nonsense about my dad and Pam.’ David winced as he drank the glass of cold water.

‘Headache?’

‘No. I’ve got an oversensitive tooth. Plays up when I eat or drink anything hot or cold. I think the enamel is wearing thin.’ He rubbed his jaw.

‘Old age must be setting in,’ she joked.

‘I certainly feel bloody ancient at the moment.’ He opened the dishwasher and grimaced at the contents. ‘I thought I’d switched this on last night. See: I’m getting forgetful too.’

‘You and your dad polished off the best part of a bottle of malt whisky. I don’t think you were in any state to remember much at all. It’s a wonder you found your way upstairs to bed.’

He grinned at her, reminding her momentarily why she’d fallen for him. He’d retained a fair amount of the same boyish charm he’d had when they’d first met, even if he was now pushing fifty. ‘Dad had a good night though, didn’t he?’

‘Yeah. I think he was relieved Pam fitted in with us all.’

David nodded in agreement and set about rinsing a dish, scraping at the dried-on leftover food with his thumbnail. ‘What time did you get in? I vaguely remember you leaving.’

‘About two hours ago. I have to return to the station. Murder enquiry.’ She downed her cup of black coffee.

‘So much for a few days’ leave.’

She shrugged. ‘You know how it is.’

‘And so much for a shopping trip to Manchester.’ The dish squeaked as he ran his fingers backwards and forwards in rapid movements over it, clearing off the last of the debris.

She pulled a face. ‘Sorry. You still want to take the kids?’

‘Not really. Leigh takes forever to choose anything whether it’s a pen or a pair of jeans. I’ll pull out what’s left of my hair. It’d be better if you were there too. I’ll offer to drop them off in Castergate to meet their mates. They’ll enjoy that more than hanging out with me.’

‘You’re the best,’ she said and pecked him on the cheek.

‘What’s that for?’

‘Because I felt like it. Don’t get too used to displays of affection though. Normal service will be resumed later.’

He threw out his chin and gave a low chuckle then winced.

‘Headache?’ she asked again.

‘Okay. Yes. You’re right. I’ve got a slight hangover.’

‘Drink plenty of water and go for a run. It’ll help you sweat out the toxins.’

‘Yes, Doctor. Any other instructions?’ The smile on his face didn’t quite reach his eyes. A warning note had crept into his voice. Natalie recognised the sign that she’d overstepped some invisible line. David could swing from good to bad mood in a flash and had become more sensitive since losing his full-time job at a law firm and taking up freelance translating. He didn’t like being ordered about and Natalie had just touched a nerve. She shook her head and smiled at him to defuse the situation that threatened to brew. He returned his attention to the dishwasher.

‘I’ll see you when I see you, then,’ he said, head in the cupboard as he searched for dishwasher tablets.

She pulled on her ankle boots, yanked the side zips up and left him to it. She stood for a second in the hallway, filled with cast-off trainers and coats slung on hooks, and was momentarily grateful for her cluttered home and the chaos that was her life. It was a far cry from the Brannons’ almost sterile home.

‘Don’t wait up. It could be a long day,’ she said before slipping out into the cool air.

---

Ian stared outside the glass-fronted office at the multicoloured leather seven-seater settee on the landing. He spun around at Natalie’s voice.

‘You seem lost in thought, Ian.’

‘Just thinking about last night and Scarlett…’ He left his words hanging.

Natalie understood what he was trying to say. His ex-girlfriend Scarlett had given birth to their baby girl, Ruby, in October of the year before, and the child was almost the same age as Alfie Brannon. It was inevitable he would be drawing parallels. Ian spoke very little about his private life so Natalie only knew a few scant details: that twenty-year-old Scarlett had moved out of their flat and returned home to her parents and Ian now had little involvement with his child.

‘It’s only natural,’ she said. ‘You’re bound to be affected. After all, you’re human.’

His eyes crinkled for a moment, then he caught sight of Murray stalking towards the office and he shook his shoulders as if squaring up for a fight. Ian and Murray didn’t always see eye to eye. Football rivalry, and something else Natalie couldn’t put her finger on, had them circling each other from time to time like two animals sizing each other up.

Murray shoved open the door and stomped in. ‘Fucking shower’s broken down at home. Going to have to call a plumber.’

‘Why didn’t you take one here?’ said Ian.

‘Now why didn’t I think of that?’ He scowled at Ian and then sighed dramatically. ‘I’m not brain-dead, am I? I used the showers downstairs. Look, I’ve got damp hair.’

His grumbles were interrupted by the arrival of Lucy, who sprinted into the office in fitted black trousers and a white blouse. Even dressed in the plain clothes she wore for work, Lucy had presence. ‘Sorry, got stuck in traffic,’ she said. She dropped onto a chair furthest away from the door as she waited for Natalie to begin the briefing.

Natalie spoke, ‘There’ve been no further developments at the scene and I’ve no news yet from Forensics or Pinkney, although I expect word from them soon. We gathered a fair bit of information last night and there are a few people we must interview first thing. I want to start with Charlotte’s parents, Kevin and Sheila Hill. The FLO on this investigation is Tanya Granger and she’s currently at the couple’s home, just outside Samford. Neither was in a fit state to talk to me earlier and the other daughter, Phoebe, was on a flight back to London. Tanya’s since messaged me to say the daughter’s now been contacted and is on her way to her parents’ house. I’ve arranged to meet Tanya and the parents at their house after this meeting. Murray, I’d like you to accompany me.’

Murray nodded his assent.

‘Onto Adam. The officer stationed outside the boxing club has been instructed to alert us if Adam leaves the premises. Adam was extremely composed last night, and although he could be perfectly innocent, I’d like to keep an eye on him. As you know, in these cases, a spouse or a loved one is often the perpetrator of the crime. Did you establish if Charlotte had a life insurance policy?’

‘Nothing in her name,’ said Ian.

‘We can rule out an attack on her for that reason, then. What about a prenup? If she was that wealthy and her parents were so disapproving of Adam, they might have insisted she had one drawn up?’

‘Doesn’t look like it. There’s none registered.’

She paced to the far end of the room and peered out of the blind-free windows that overlooked the road below. Traffic was beginning to build up, people making their way into town for the day. She blinked away thoughts of her own children, who she ought to have taken shopping.

‘Obviously, we need to work out who might have had a problem with Charlotte. Given her huge social network, that might appear an onerous task, but nevertheless, we have to check out anyone who might have a serious grievance or motive.

‘Adam says he was with Lee Webster, a friend who served a sentence at Sudford Prison around the same time as Adam was inside for assault. Lee didn’t answer the door or phone earlier, and it’s important we not only hear his version of events last night but we rule out any possible involvement in Charlotte’s death.’

Lucy spoke. ‘I tried his phone just before the meeting but it was still switched off.’

‘Try his workplace. Track him down. We need to confirm Adam’s alibi. Next up is Inge Redfern, their seventeen-year-old babysitter, who Adam drove home. She might have been the last person to speak to Charlotte. She knew the family. Could she have a grudge against Charlotte? We can’t rule that possibility out at this stage. If not her, we need to establish if she shut the front door behind her when she left the house. From what we can gather, there’s no evidence of a break-in and the burglar alarm wasn’t activated, so whoever is responsible had access to the door keys or entered an open house, or there’s also the possibility that Charlotte might have let her attacker in. The only other set of house keys is with Charlotte’s parents.’

She glanced at the faces in front of her. ‘With regards to other potential suspects, there were two unknown individuals spotted fleeing down the street between quarter past eleven and eleven thirty-five. The witness, Margaret Callaghan, who lives in the next house along from the Brannons, is unsure if they actually were at the Brannons’ place, but given we have no persons of interest other than Adam, we have to find out who they were. If nothing else, they might have spotted something untoward. Check out CCTV footage in the area in case these two individuals appear again.

‘Finally, we have the word “why?” written in eight-inch-high letters in Charlotte’s blood on the wall above her bed. The killer has left a message. At this stage, I don’t know if that message is intended for us, the police.’

Lucy piped up. ‘The killer could be taunting us with this message. They might also have intentionally left the murder weapon in an easy place for us to find.’

Natalie nodded. ‘Could indeed be their intention or the message might have been left for Adam or Charlotte’s parents.’

‘Or for Charlotte,’ offered Ian. ‘Maybe she did something to upset somebody.’

Natalie continued, ‘We must consider all possibilities. That’s it for the moment. Anyone got anything to add?’

‘Nothing new from me,’ said Murray.

The others shook their heads.

‘Right then, Lucy, you and Ian start with Lee Webster.’

---

Walnut Cottage was anything but a cottage. Set on a hillside about six miles from Samford, it might have once been a modest dwelling but had since been modernised and extended to make the most of the views that stretched over miles of countryside. The sitting room to the rear of the property was more like a giant conservatory, with its floor-to-ceiling glass panels, than a room for watching television and chilling out, and as Natalie sat in the vast space on a fat round chair and looked up at the sky above, she understood why Charlotte’s house had been so minimal and sterile inside. She’d developed the same taste in furnishing as her parents.

Murray had already made a comment coming up the drive. As they’d pulled up in front of the house, he’d declared the place would make a cattle ranch in Texas appear minuscule.

Tanya Granger was standing next to a life-sized sculpture of a horse painted in various hues of purples, blues and pinks. Natalie and Murray had already come across another such sculpture, covered in vibrant yellow and orange blooms that grew from its fetlocks to cover its flanks. This one appeared to be a random collection of colours but when examined closely revealed tiny painted jigsaw pieces over the entire body. Tanya, clearly exhausted, shifted from one foot to the other then, straightening her spine, drew herself back up to her five foot four inches before speaking.

‘Can I get you anything, Kevin? A cup of tea, maybe?’

‘No, thank you. Thank you all the same.’ The voice was quiet. Kevin Hill, still wearing a dressing gown, pyjamas and a pair of leather slippers, stared at the palms of his hands. Although in his early sixties, he’d retained thick hair, now silver in colour, and a handsome face, currently lined with grief. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek, losing itself in the greying stubble of his chin. Still he studied his hands as if he could change the fortune now embedded in their lines.

Natalie wanted to say more, to offer some words of comfort, but she had nothing that could make him feel better.

His wife, Sheila, awake but even now a little dopey from the drugs, sat next to him, face slack and eyes misted over, a housecoat covering her ample frame. Tanya glanced at Natalie who cleared her throat.

‘Last night, you met up with Adam and Charlotte at Valentino’s restaurant just outside Derby. How did Charlotte seem?’

Kevin lifted red-rimmed eyes towards Natalie. ‘We haven’t heard from social services yet. We want to know how Alfie is. Is he with his father?’

‘You’ll hear very soon, I promise,’ Natalie replied.

‘Alfie needs to be with his family,’ Kevin said.

Natalie nodded. ‘You’ll be contacted shortly. For now, I really need to ask you a few questions to help me with my investigation. How was Charlotte last night?’

‘Chirpy. Bright. Beautiful. What do you want me say?’

‘I wondered how she’d behaved throughout dinner.’

‘Same as always. We chatted, had a few drinks, enjoyed ourselves.’ His voice became flatter.

‘No, Kevin. She wasn’t chirpy,’ Sheila said slowly. She shook her head and tugged at the sleeve of her housecoat. ‘She tried to be. You were making jokes and she laughed at them but she wasn’t her usual self. I noticed that. She drank more than she usually does, for one thing, and she ignored Adam a lot of the time.’

‘Ignored him in what way?’

Sheila tucked her knees up under her coat and blinked into space. ‘Adam’s not an easy son-in-law. He hasn’t had the same opportunities in life that Charlotte had, and he can be prickly sometimes. We’ve had a few run-ins with him. Nothing major but when it happens, Charlotte sides with him. Last night she didn’t. She was more like our old Charlotte: less submissive, less clingy.’

‘You think her personality altered after marrying Adam?’ Natalie asked.

‘For certain it did. You see, Adam doesn’t really like us or understand us. He’s wary of us. He didn’t have any parental assistance of his own and he didn’t want Charlotte to have the emotional and financial support we gave her.

‘His father ran out on his mother when he was an infant. By all accounts, she was a heroin addict. We don’t know the full story but he was taken into care in his teens and she passed away soon after. He didn’t like the fact Charlotte had so much and he had so little. He wanted to be the only person in Charlotte’s life. He suffocated her, transformed her and stopped her from being who she really was.’

‘You’re reading too much into it all, Sheila.’ Kevin shook his head. ‘Now isn’t the time for that.’

‘No, I’m not reading too much into anything,’ she replied, sadly. ‘You didn’t see what I saw. You never noticed the looks that passed between them, or how Charlotte was changing, pushing us both away. You saw what you wanted to see.’

Kevin shook his head, sprinkling tears onto his lap.

Sheila continued talking in a monotone voice. ‘Charlotte used to say Adam was trying to escape his past, put it behind him and start afresh, but I didn’t believe her. While I never approved of my daughter’s choice of husband, I certainly tried to accept him and make him feel welcome; however, he made it abundantly clear he didn’t want to be part of our family. He was almost impossible to get along with: petulant, brooding, unsociable and there was a darkness behind his looks and actions. He is the polar opposite of Charlotte, and for the life of me, I can’t think why she married him.’ She shifted her legs and stared off into the distance then spoke again. ‘Charlotte was overcompensating for him last night. She wanted us to have a good evening but there was something else, a hidden agenda that I sensed. Call it mother’s intuition or whatever, but I’m convinced there was something going on between them. He spent a lot of last evening texting on his phone rather than joining in the conversation, and when Charlotte reprimanded him, he gave her such a look.’ She shivered at the memory.

‘Did he ever threaten Charlotte?’ Natalie looked directly at Sheila, who returned the gaze and nodded. ‘Charlotte let it slip he’d been becoming more aggressive towards her. He hadn’t hurt her physically, but there’d been some terrible arguments and she feared he might. She tried to tell me something else last night in the ladies’, but she stopped midway and clammed up.’

‘What did she say?’

‘She began by asking me if I thought she’d made a mistake marrying Adam. I told her she was a grown woman and whatever she decided I’d always support her actions. Then she looked away and chewed her lip. I recognised the sign. She always used to do that when she was concerned. She said she was worried. She had to tell Adam something and she wasn’t sure how he’d take it. I asked her what she meant but she shook her head and laughed it off. Said she’d drunk too much and was letting everything get out of proportion because she and Adam had rowed. Told me to forget it and let the subject drop.’

‘Did you pursue the subject?’

‘We returned to the table and started talking about something else, and then time raced by and Adam announced it was time to leave. It was coming up to ten and they’d promised the babysitter they wouldn’t be late. I hugged her goodbye and whispered if ever she wanted to talk to me, she could. She didn’t answer. I could tell whatever was troubling her was still there. I could see it in her eyes.’

‘You didn’t say anything to me about that last night,’ Kevin said, his gaze fixed on his wife.

‘I wanted to find out what it was first. I was going to ring her today and ask her to bring Alfie around, then mention it again.’ She spoke directly to Natalie. ‘We’re worried sick about Alfie. He should be with us until Adam is able to look after him. It’d be much better than a stranger looking after him. We’d like to have him. We want to have him. He’s our grandson.’

Natalie nodded. Tanya would sort that out with social services. She wanted to steer the conversation back to the night before. Kevin was clearly still focused on the events.

‘I didn’t notice anything going on between them,’ Kevin said, more to himself as a reprimand.

Sheila didn’t respond.

‘Adam didn’t join in the celebrations last night?’ Natalie asked.

‘No. It was a mistake to have invited him. I thought it would help bring us closer. We’ve seen so little of either of them, what with us travelling so much recently and them busy with the baby.’ Sheila stopped suddenly, eyes filling. Her final words came out as a choked sob. ‘I thought there’d always be more time for seeing them.’

‘I understand this is a very distressing time for you both, but I’d really appreciate your help by answering a few more questions. Charlotte had a trust fund, didn’t she?’ Natalie prompted.

Sheila blew her nose on a tissue and rested her forehead against her knuckles. Natalie glanced at Murray who leant forward and spoke to Kevin.

‘Can you tell us about the trust fund?’

Kevin appeared to come out of his reverie at the sound of Murray’s voice. ‘My father sold the family animal feed business in 2012. When he passed away two years later, we decided to give both the girls some money to help them through their lives. We set up funds for them both.’

‘What about the house? I understand you purchased it in January 2017,’ Murray asked.

Sheila glanced briefly at Kevin, who swallowed before continuing. ‘Phoebe, our other daughter, had been promoted to senior cabin crew for Emirates and was flying out of London a great deal. Rather than have her commute and stay in digs as she was, Sheila and I thought it would be an idea to buy her a flat in London so she could travel more easily. Charlotte was living with Adam by then. They’d bought a house in a… How can I put it? In a less than salubrious area of Samford. She wanted to move away but they couldn’t afford a property in the area where she wanted to live. She’d seen a house in Eastborough on a prestigious estate and wanted it. Having just bought a property for Phoebe, we couldn’t really refuse her request. The money was there. No point in waiting for us to die to inherit it, we thought.’ He turned his head for a moment to regain his composure, giving a small shake as he did so.

Natalie spoke up. ‘Did you talk to Adam about buying the house?’

‘No. I wanted to provide for my daughters. I chose not to have the properties put in joint names. Although Phoebe was single at the time, I knew she’d find herself in a serious relationship at some stage, and Charlotte was married to Adam. I didn’t want a situation to arise where either of my girls found themselves fighting over half of a property if their relationships broke down. The house was Charlotte’s. If she and Adam had split up, she’d have always had a roof over her head and money to fall back on. Not everyone sticks at marriage these days. I thought I was protecting her.’

At the moment, Kevin looked like he’d give up all his wealth to have his daughter back.

Natalie would have to get Adam’s thoughts on the matter later. At present she was more concerned with potential suspects. She continued with her questions.

‘Apart from the incident in the toilets at the restaurant when she spoke briefly about Adam, has Charlotte mentioned being concerned about anyone else?’

Kevin looked across at his wife, who shook her head.

‘She didn’t have any run-ins?’

‘No.’

‘And she wasn’t seeing anybody else?’

Sheila drew a quick breath and released it crossly. ‘Absolutely not. Alfie was the apple of her eye and she loved Adam despite his shortcomings. She wouldn’t be having an affair. I’m certain of that.’

‘Were Phoebe and Charlotte close?’

‘They used to be when they were younger but less so these days. They chose very different career paths. Charlotte was always into fashion and design and wrote a fashion blog. Phoebe loves travelling. They shared a flat together in London while Charlotte was studying there. After she married Adam, they saw little of each other and then Phoebe got engaged and is always jetting off to one location or another.’

‘I’d like to talk to her when she arrives. Would that be okay?’

‘Of course. She’s coming up with Jed, her fiancé. We’ll ask her to call by the station unless you want to talk to her here.’

‘It would be more convenient if she could come to the station. I understand you have a key to Charlotte and Adam’s house.’

‘We have one in case of emergencies, or if they needed us to let in a workman, that sort of thing. We’ve never needed to use it. It’s on a hook in our key cupboard,’ said Kevin.

‘Does anybody other than you have access to that cupboard?’ Murray asked.

‘No. Only us.’ He left the room and returned quickly with the key which he handed over to Murray. ‘I’d like it back in time.’

‘Is Adam under suspicion?’ Sheila’s voice was hesitant.

‘We’re talking to everyone who knew Charlotte,’ said Natalie, sidestepping the question.

With little more to be gained by questioning the distressed parents, Natalie and Murray thanked them and departed. Murray put the car into gear and hesitated, foot on the brake, before drawing away.

He glanced across. ‘Can you believe them? Buying a property for each of their daughters without consulting the partners. And what was Charlotte thinking of? If Yolande and her parents pulled a stunt like that on me, I’d be livid. I’d probably tell Yolande where she could shove her fancy house and trust fund, even though I’m batshit crazy about her. Adam can’t have been happy about that. Would you go behind your daughter’s husband’s back and offer her money and a house if you could afford it?’

‘That’s hypothetical because I can barely afford the mortgage on the house we own, let alone shore up either of my kids.’

‘You wouldn’t though, would you?’

Natalie considered his point. It was a fair one. The Hills had overstepped the mark. They probably had good intentions but they hadn’t considered Adam’s feelings. And neither had Charlotte. Had it driven a wedge between them? Their marriage maybe wasn’t what it appeared to be.

‘It’s a weird one, I’ll grant you that.’

Murray pulled off the drive. ‘I reckon there’s a lot of tension in that household – Adam and Charlotte, Adam and his in-laws – and I wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t blown his top last night.’

‘There’s a huge difference between blowing your top and bludgeoning your loved one to death and then scrawling a message in her blood on the wall,’ Natalie replied. She looked at her phone screen. There was a message from Leigh, her daughter.

Murray picked up on her tone and concentrated on the road, leaving Natalie to chew over what they’d learnt. She opened the message.

Natalie hated letting down her children, and Leigh had been especially excited about going to the city, where there was a far greater choice of shops than where they lived. She thumbed a response, knowing it wouldn’t be what her daughter wanted to hear.

She sighed. It was always difficult when she had to neglect those she loved most. She wasn’t alone. Work had ruined her colleague and husband’s good friend, Mike Sullivan’s marriage. Finding the balance between it and family life was a constant juggling act that relied on everyone’s comprehension and patience. Leigh would understand, Natalie reasoned. She was merely disappointed at the moment. She’d bounce back quickly.

She turned her attention to the investigation. Adam didn’t get along with Kevin and Sheila, and Charlotte had told her mother she needed to speak to Adam about something important that would anger him. If Sheila Hill was telling the truth, then the marriage wasn’t all it appeared to be. At this stage, however, Natalie couldn’t rely on any of her witnesses. People lied and she could trust no one. What she needed was some solid evidence.