“But you’ve stayed with him.”

“Yes.” She grimaces. “You must think I’m so pathetic. I know you’d never have stood for it. But somehow we muddled along. And I had David. He needs so much…I don’t think I could cope with him on my own. And Miles is much better once you’ve worked out how not to make him angry.”

Beside me, Pete twitches. I know he’s itching to say that Miles had no right to treat her like that in the first place, and that it certainly shouldn’t be her job to placate him, but now isn’t the moment. I put my hand on his leg, briefly, then turn back to Lucy.

“Lucy, there are several things about Miles I think you may not know. I suspect you do know that he was having sex with Michaela behind your back.” After a moment, Lucy nods reluctantly. “But what you probably don’t know is that he’s tried to kill people. And in at least one case, we think he’s succeeded.” I look at Pete. “Tell her.”

Pete explains about the hit-and-runs. He lays it out calmly and unemotionally, as if it’s an article he’s pitching to a newspaper. When he’s finished, Lucy takes a deep breath.

“He has a storage unit. I think he may have a second car in it—an old Passat. I found the keys once when I was folding his trousers. He was furious—that’s how I knew it was something important. But I don’t think it’s licensed—I’ve never seen any paperwork for it.”

“Do you know where the storage unit is?”

She shakes her head. “And I don’t want to. I don’t want anything to do with it.”

Pete leans forward and says gently, “I’m afraid you already are something to do with it. And there’s more. Lucy, you need to hear what he’s threatening to do next. To Theo. And what he’s already doing to David.”

110

   PETE

   IT WAS JUST AN ordinary day.

It was just an ordinary day in Willesden Green, north London. Summer had come to the city, but at eight thirty in the morning the streets were still relatively cool as I took Theo on his scooter to the Leyland Avenue Nursery and Preschool. He’d settled in well. Harvey Taylor’s report had helped a lot, by setting out exactly what extra support he’d need. It was working, too. Slowly but surely, he was getting there.

Having dropped him off, I went home, turned on my laptop and the coffee machine, then logged onto DadStuff. There was a thread for those whose kids had been diagnosed with CU. Music lessons helped, apparently, and simple body-language games. In any case, it was good to share the problem with others, particularly those whose children were older and had been through this stage already.

   Then the doorbell rang, so I put down my cappuccino and went to answer it.

There were five of them. Two in uniform, two in white forensic bodysuits, and one in plainclothes. It was the one in plainclothes who said, “Peter Riley, I am arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Miles Leopold Lambert. You do not have to say anything, but if you do not mention now something which you mention later, a court might ask you why you did not mention it at the first opportunity. I have here a warrant to search these premises and to seize electronic devices or other evidence relating to this investigation.”

“I’d better call my solicitor,” I said, stepping back to let them in. “Before you take my phone.”

111

Case no. 12675/PU78B65: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION by Catherine Jackson, Senior Crown Prosecutor.

     The investigation into the death of Miles Lambert (12675/PU78B65) has now been ongoing for more than ten months, and, in the opinion of the police, is unlikely to yield any further high-quality evidence to assist the Crown Prosecution Service in the decision that must now be made regarding whether or not to bring any charges.

     The circumstances of Mr. Lambert’s death—an apparent hit-and-run while returning home from a morning jog at approximately 6:50 A.M.—undoubtedly indicate a criminal act. However, the vehicle that struck him has not been identified, and none of those questioned by the police have admitted any involvement.

     Suspicion was initially directed at Peter Riley and Madelyn Wilson, who prior to Mr. Lambert’s death had been involved in a court case with him over the custody of his biological son, Theo. There is ample documentation in the bundle showing that, despite initially being quite amicable, the relationship between the two families had become acrimonious. However, Mr. Riley and Ms. Wilson had been successful in that case, and—the communications with Tania Lefebvre and Harvey Taylor notwithstanding—might therefore be presumed to have little motive to harm Mr. Lambert once the judgment had been handed down.

     They were also able to give each other consistent alibis for the time at which Mr. Lambert’s death occurred. Mr. Riley was engaged in a heated exchange about head lice on the internet forum DadStuff from 7:02 to 7:38, making a total of eleven posts from his home network. Ms. Wilson’s assertion that she was making Theo’s breakfast is consistent with phone tower data showing that her mobile remained in the house until she left for work as usual at around 8:18.

     Police also questioned Mr. Lambert’s wife, Lucy, but again found nothing that would indicate a motive to harm her husband. Footage from the Lamberts’ nannycams places Mrs. Lambert in her house drinking coffee until after the arrival of the emergency services at the scene at 7:14. She told investigating officers that she was unaware her husband lay dying outside their front door until she was alerted by the police at approximately 7:25.

     Perhaps most important, forensic scrutiny of both the Lamberts’ BMW and the Volkswagen Golf owned by Peter Riley yielded no signs that either had been involved in an incident of this nature, and nothing of direct relevance was found in the search histories of any of the electronic devices seized and examined by police.

     In short, there appears to be no reasonable chance of a conviction in this matter, and I therefore conclude that no further action be taken.

    Catherine Jackson

 Senior Crown Prosecutor

112

   MADDIE

   TREVOSE HEAD IS JUST as beautiful as Miles promised—a huge house right on the beach, with only the coast path and the sand dunes between us and the sea. Miles was right, too, in his prediction that Theo would love it. We’ve bought him a tiny little wet suit to run into the sea in, while Pete, also looking quite cute in his matching shortie, stands sentinel to protect him from the treacherous currents. Even David, it turns out, loves to sit in a rock pool and splash, so most mornings Lucy and I sit with him, our feet in the cool water, chatting.