But then Sadie had stopped and thought, before retracing her steps. It had been like a miracle, like victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. And that was when Mona had known that it was meant to be. Of course it was. It was a sign that she was doing the right thing, that God was on her side.

She had hung back as Sadie walked up the path to Carlton House and went through the front door. That had been another tricky moment. She’d had no idea whether Sadie would take the stairs or the lift or which floor she was visiting. All she could do was watch the tower, hoping that Sadie would appear behind the railings at some point.

Mona had passed an anxious couple of minutes, concerned that she wasn’t watching the right side of the building. What if Sadie came out round the back? In the event, she needn’t have worried. Her friend had suddenly surfaced on the ninth floor, stood for a while gazing out at the estate and then continued walking to the left.

The door had been answered by a blonde girl. Mona could see the brightness of her hair but couldn’t make out her features clearly. There had been a brief conversation before a man appeared and that man, she had known, was Eddie Wise. She wondered what had made her so sure. Well, it had to be, didn’t it? Why else would Sadie be visiting this crummy estate? Mona had counted off the doors from right to left so she would know how to find the flat again.

Fifteen minutes later, Sadie had come out and walked straight back to Oaklands. She hadn’t been there long before she’d reappeared with her holdall and crossed the street to the station. She’d looked happy, relaxed, as if she’d got what she’d wanted. Mona had watched her leave with a mingling of sadness and regret. It was a shame that she was going, but it wouldn’t be for ever.

Mona moved away from the window and sat down on the bed, placing the Beretta beside her. She ran her finger along the cool metal barrel. It would be easy for Sadie, she thought. It would be quick. To kill with a gun was a straightforward way of disposing of someone. One tiny pull on the trigger and it was all over. Nothing prolonged, nothing messy. You didn’t even have to look into your victim’s eyes.

‘Bang bang,’ she murmured again.

For her, it had not been so straightforward. Worried that the police might be able to link the two murders through forensics or ballistics or whatever it was called, she hadn’t dared use the Beretta. Anyway, it was too risky to fire a gun in a tower block – the sound would echo through the thin walls and floors – so she’d gone instead for something more discreet. Eddie Wise, who hadn’t thought twice about inviting a stranger into his flat, had looked more surprised than afraid as she’d slid the blade between his ribs.

Mona glanced down at the gun, a smile creeping back on to her lips. There was a certain irony to the fact that in a month or two her father would be murdered by his own weapon. And that, she thought, was a shining example of divine justice.

11

Sadie woke, rolled over and stretched out her arm but the other side of the double bed was empty. She gave a sigh, wishing that Joel was there. The smell of him was still on her, the feel of his touch imprinted on her skin. The memory of last night, of every kiss, of every gentle caress, lingered in her flesh. He must have left for work. Yes, she had a vague recollection of him leaning over to kiss her goodbye. Even though he wasn’t with her, there was something comforting about knowing he wasn’t far away. His workroom was only downstairs. Two flights of stairs and she could see his face again.

A thin whitish light slipped through a gap in the curtains, telling her that the snow was still lying. She snuggled into the warmth of the blankets. Soon she would get up, but there wasn’t any hurry. Anticipating that it would take longer than it had to track down Eddie, she’d taken the whole week off work and now had seven free days to do with as she wished.

Sadie yawned and smiled, luxuriating in the pleasure of being back in her own bed. It was odd how journeys made her feel so tired, as if they sucked out all her energy. She had spent most of yesterday on trains and tubes and buses. She thought back to her visit to the Mansfield estate and the satisfying outcome. She still found it hard to believe that Eddie had finally signed the papers. The first thing she was going to do today was to pop them in the post to her solicitor.

Sadie’s only regret was that she hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to Velma. She had knocked gently but got no response. Aware that her neighbour had come in late, she hadn’t persisted. Instead she’d slipped a note under the door thanking her for all her help.

Mrs Cuthbert’s response on hearing that she was leaving Oaklands had been quick and sharp. Her rheumy eyes had flashed defiantly. ‘There’s no refunds, dear.’

‘That’s okay.’

‘We let the rooms by the week so —’

‘It’s fine. I understand.’ Sadie had been in too good a mood to quibble over a few wasted quid. It was a price worth paying to get away from Kellston.

Mrs Cuthbert had given her a hard stare as if the combination of an early departure and no argument over a refund was virtually unknown and therefore highly suspicious. ‘Not in any kind of trouble, are you?’

‘No, no trouble at all. I just had something to sort out and I’ve done it faster than I thought.’

Sadie had left for the station immediately after this brief conversation. Travelling on a Sunday was a pain – there had been long tedious waits between connections – but she was still glad that she had done it. Being back in Haverlea, back with Joel, was the best feeling in the world.

Sadie stayed in bed for another five minutes before forcing herself to get up. She took a hot shower and got dressed in her old faded jeans and a cream sweater. In the kitchen she wrapped her hands around a mug of coffee and gazed out of the window at the snowy landscape.

She was still standing there, basking in happiness, when she heard the sound of the key in the lock. It had to be Joel. She put the mug down and rushed through to the living room, smiling widely, but then stopped dead in her tracks when she realised he wasn’t alone. There were two uniformed officers with him. The smile froze on her lips. Joel had an odd expression on his face, his eyes anxious, his mouth twisted into a grimace.

‘Sadie,’ he said. ‘It’s the police. They want to talk to you.’

‘What?’

The older of the two men took out his ID and held it up. ‘Inspector Gerald Frayne.’ He gestured to his left. ‘And this is my colleague, PC John Turner.’

Sadie felt a wave of panic wash over her. ‘What’s happened? Is it Mum? Has something —’

‘No, it’s not your mum.’ Joel rushed forward and put his arm around her shoulder. ‘It’s not your mum. She’s okay. She’s fine.’

Relief flooded through her. She might not always see eye to eye with her mother, but the thought of… ‘Then what? What is it?’

‘It’s about Eddie,’ Joel said.

Sadie looked at him and then at the two officers. ‘Eddie?’

Inspector Frayne gave a nod. ‘We’ve got bad news, I’m afraid. Perhaps you’d like to sit down.’

‘Just tell me,’ she said. ‘Please.’

The inspector looked her straight in the eye. ‘I’m afraid Mr Wise was found dead in his flat in London.’

Sadie felt her knees go weak. ‘Dead?’ she murmured. He couldn’t be. It was impossible. The blood rushed from her face as the shock of it sank in. ‘But how… what… I don’t understand.’

Joel led her over to the sofa. ‘Come on, sit down. Sit here.’

Sadie sank on to the cushions, her head swimming. This was unreal, a bad dream. It couldn’t be happening. Joel sat down beside her and she automatically reached for his hand. Dead? How could Eddie be dead? She’d only seen him yesterday. The image of him sprang into her mind, him leaning against the wall, smiling at her. Don’t I even get a proper goodbye?