He gave a shrug. ‘I think it’s like she said. She was just in the area. She’d heard about Eddie and wanted to make sure you were okay.’

And Sadie knew that if she was going to tell the truth, now was the time. If she didn’t, there would be no going back. ‘Joel,’ she began, ‘there’s something —’

But before she could even start to explain, Mona’s voice came from the doorway. ‘Are you all right, Sadie?’

Sadie glared back at her. ‘I’m fine.’

‘Are you sure? Is there anything I can do?’

Yes, Sadie wanted to scream, you can get out of my flat and leave me alone. But instead she simply shook her head and muttered, ‘No, no I’m all right.’

‘Maybe we should leave this afternoon,’ Joel said. ‘I’m sure Mum won’t mind.’

It was only at that moment that Sadie remembered they were supposed to be going over to Joel’s parents’ house for his mother’s birthday celebrations. It was an event she hadn’t been looking forward to, even though she liked Frank and Emily Hunter. She knew that the local gossips would have been busy whispering about Eddie’s murder and didn’t relish the prospect of being the focus of their attention. On the other hand, if she didn’t attend, it might look like she had something to hide. ‘Of course we have to go,’ she said, feigning more enthusiasm than she actually felt. ‘It’s her birthday.’ And also, she thought, it would be a good excuse to get rid of Mona.

‘Oh, I should get off,’ Mona said. ‘I didn’t realise you had plans. I don’t want to be in the way.’

And Joel, forever polite, then said the last words Sadie wanted to hear. ‘You’re not. You should come along if you’ve nothing else to do.’

Sadie threw him a pleading look but it was already too late. The invitation had been made and couldn’t be withdrawn.

‘Are you sure?’ Mona asked. ‘I wouldn’t want to intrude.’

‘You wouldn’t be. Lots of people are coming. You’re more than welcome. Isn’t she, Sadie?’

Sadie, having been put on the spot, could hardly say no. ‘Yes,’ she mumbled. ‘Of course.’

‘Good. That’s settled then. We’ll all go together.’

‘I’d better get changed,’ Sadie said. ‘I won’t be long.’ She hurried out of the kitchen, her eyes briefly meeting Mona’s as she passed. There was, she thought, a gleam of triumph in them. With a sinking heart, she went through the living room and into the bedroom.

‘No, no, no,’ she muttered as she closed the door behind her. She sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. Jesus, why had Joel had to do that? Why did he always have to be so damned pleasant? Now they were stuck with her for the whole afternoon. Mona Farrell was a loose cannon and God knows what she might come out with at the party.

There was still time to do something. Sadie stared towards the door, knowing that all she had to do was to open it and give Joel a shout. All she had to do was to sit him down and explain. Except she didn’t have any evidence, nothing solid at least. The story was so strange, so bizarre, that he might end up thinking that she was the one who had lost her marbles. It wasn’t as if Mona had actually confessed. What if the girl was just living out some delusional fantasy?

Sadie had to find out – and she had to find out fast.

23

Half an hour later, Sadie was in the front of the white van, squashed between Joel and Mona. She was sitting stiffly, trying not to let her left arm or leg touch Mona’s, but was still close enough to hear the other woman’s breathing and to smell the distinctive scent of Chanel No. 5.

As the van headed towards Shore Road, Sadie glanced down at the dress she had chosen, plain and grey and not especially flattering. She had spent ten minutes going through her wardrobe, dismissing her black cocktail frock as being too dramatic – wouldn’t it look like she was in mourning? – and all the brighter ones as being too frivolous. The grey, she hoped, would help her blend into the background.

While Joel made small talk, Sadie tried to figure out what she’d say to Mona once she got her on her own. Direct questions, she decided, no more beating around the bush. She had to know for sure what her involvement had been – if any – in Eddie’s death. It wasn’t the kind of conversation that she wanted to have at a birthday party, but then there wasn’t really a good time or place to broach the subject.

Sadie wished that she was somewhere else, anywhere else but stuck in this van with Mona Farrell. The girl gave her the creeps; she was weird and unnerving. And suddenly her head was full of if onlys again: if only she hadn’t gone to London, if only she hadn’t chosen Oaklands to stay at, if only she’d never met Nathan Stone.

‘So what’s your line of work?’ Joel was asking Mona.

‘I’m working in an antique shop at the moment, just a small one. It’s nothing much but I’m hoping to learn the trade, maybe have a place of my own one day. I’m doing night classes too in Art History.’

‘That’s interesting.’

‘Yes, I’m enjoying it.’

Sadie didn’t believe a word she was saying; none of it rang true. Mona was either a consummate liar or she’d already rehearsed her answers. Probably both. The girl was doing her best to ingratiate herself with Joel, to come across as perfectly normal when she was about as far from that condition as a person could be. A wave of panic flowed over her. What the hell was she doing? If Mona was a killer, then Joel could be in danger too. She’d never forgive herself if anything happened to him.

Sadie stared out through the windscreen, making a mental effort to stop her hands from clenching. If Mona had killed one man then what was to stop her from… But there was a part of her that still refused to believe it. Wasn’t it more likely that the girl was just unhinged, playing a weird psychological game? For some obscure reason Mona had latched on to her and wasn’t prepared to let go.

Five minutes later they drew up outside the large detached house on Shore Road. Already people were milling around the entrance, laughing and joking, kissing each other on the cheek and shaking hands. Usually, Sadie would have looked forward to a do like this but today she wished she was anywhere but here.

‘Are you sure this is okay?’ Mona asked. ‘I feel like I’m gatecrashing.’

‘It’s fine,’ Joel said. ‘Half the town’s going to be here. One more won’t make a difference.’

As soon as they stepped into the grand reception area, Joel’s mother swept across the room and embraced Sadie, making the point – should there be any doubters observing – that she for one believed wholeheartedly in her future daughter-in-law’s innocence when it came to Eddie Wise’s murder.

‘Hello, darling. It’s wonderful to see you. I’m so glad you could make it.’

‘Happy birthday, Emily.’

‘You’re looking lovely as always. How are you bearing up? Oh, poor you. It must be dreadful. You know we’re always here for you, don’t you? Just pick up the phone if ever you need anything.’

Emily Hunter was a kind, sociable woman in her mid-fifties, generous and open-hearted. Sadie knew that she meant well, but the effusive welcome only succeeded in drawing unwelcome attention. She could feel the eyes on her, the raised brows and the weighing-up stares. In a small town like Haverlea, gossip spread like wildfire. Speculation would be rife as to whether Sadie Wise had actually disposed of her husband.

Sadie, making an effort to smile, wondered if she appeared as nervous as she felt. ‘Thank you,’ she murmured. If it hadn’t been for Mona’s presence, it would have been easier to brazen it out, but she was worried about what the girl might say and to whom. And where was she now? By the time Sadie had disentangled herself from Emily’s embrace and Joel had taken her place, Mona had disappeared. She scanned the crowded room but there wasn’t any sign of her.