‘I don’t know his name. I’m sorry.’

Narey’s heart sank. ‘How long had she been seeing him?’

‘A few months. Four months, I’d say.’

‘From now or from when she was killed?’ As soon as the words were out she regretted how harsh they sounded but it was too late.

‘She had seen him for four months.’

‘And yet she never mentioned his name?’

‘No. She just called him The Man. I think she found it exciting that way. An extra edge of whatever. It was always just “I saw The Man last night” or “I’m going to sneak off tonight for a few hours with The Man”. Never a name.’

‘You must know something about him though. Any little thing might help.’

‘Well he had quite a big thing apparently but I don’t see how that’s going to help. He had some kind of job where he could get away at any time. His own boss was how I’d taken it. He was younger than her. The sex was good, adventurous. She said he was a bit of a bad boy and she liked that.’

‘How do you mean, adventurous?’

Thomson frowned. ‘She didn’t go into the juicy details, Inspector. I got the feeling it was . . . thrill-seeking? Definitely out of the norm that she is used to with Douglas. Was used to.’

‘Okay, I’m sorry I had to ask. What else can you tell me? Was he married?’

‘I don’t think so but he was definitely in some kind of relationship. He was sneaking away as much as she was. When I think about it, it was odd how little she told me about him. As if it was some big secret that was even more exciting because she didn’t tell me more.’

‘Okay, any clues in how she met him?’

She took a long sip of wine as she thought about it, a realization dawning. ‘Well . . . yes, it was work-related. I remember her saying at the beginning how it had been a shitty work day but how it hadn’t been all bad. She said it with a wicked grin on her face and I immediately called her on it being some guy. She just laughed and made this face as if he was really hot. Another time, she talked about how it couldn’t be all work and no play and she was definitely preferring the play side of it.’

‘So it could have been a client?’

‘Or a supplier or a designer or a delivery guy. It almost became a running joke that she wouldn’t tell me. This man of mystery. I’d joke to her that he might be a spy or a . . .’ The woman’s face dropped. ‘Shit, I used to say he might be a spy or an international hit man. Christ. Do you think it was him?’

Narey wouldn’t have answered that even if she’d known. ‘We have to find him to find out. What other circles did Jen move in where she might have met someone? This man.’

Carrie’s hands flew up in a despairing gesture. ‘God, it could have been anywhere. She was really . . . sociable. She got out whenever she could. And her work took her all over. Lots of houses, contracts for developers, magazine work. Her business was going really well. People liked her and her work.’

‘Okay. On the night that Jen disappeared, she was supposed to be seeing a client in the West End, at Kensington Gate. Was she?’

Carrie looked distinctly uncomfortable. She stared at her feet. ‘I don’t know. But I don’t think so.’

‘You think she was seeing this man? Did you not think to tell the police that?’

‘I didn’t know for sure. Of course I suspected that she was going to see The Man rather than some unknown customer but I didn’t know. And I didn’t want to . . . I couldn’t go tell the police or Douglas in case she turned up. It occurred to me that maybe she’d lost her mind and actually run off with this guy. I didn’t know.’

Narey’s stare left her in no doubt that she wasn’t impressed. She didn’t push it though as she needed a bit more from the woman.

‘Okay, I’m going to leave you my card and if you can think of anything else about him then please call me. Anything at all that might lead us to him.’

‘Yes, of course. I’m sorry I was . . . I just didn’t want to . . .’

‘It’s okay. I understand, Carrie. Really. Okay, there’s just a couple more things I need to ask.’

Thomson sank some wine back, draining the glass. ‘Okay, hit me.’

‘This might seem strange but did she ever mention urbexing?’

‘What? I don’t know what that means.’

‘Did she ever mention exploring abandoned buildings or places like that?’

She looked aghast. ‘No. Never! Why would Jen want to do something like that?’

‘Okay. Then finally, do you think Douglas Cairns knew his wife was having an affair?’

Carrie Thomson blew out her cheeks and pushed her hair back on her head, holding it there, her knuckles glowing white through her tan.

‘I obviously don’t know the answer to this . . .’

‘But?’

‘But yes. My guess is that he did.’

Narey drove to the nursing home with the woman’s words echoing through her head. Betrayal was a powerful motivation. People would do a lot for those they loved but they’d do a lot to those who threw that love back in their face.

The door to the home was opened by a tired-looking woman in her fifties. She looked how Narey felt. Her name was Avril or April, something like that. She nodded a greeting and held the door wide.

Narey walked the corridor to her dad’s room, blinking at the awful yellow walls. Were they meant to be cheery? If so, it wasn’t working.

She was just about to push open the door to his room when she stopped, hearing voices inside. His familiar tones, older and weaker now but still the same comforting, loving voice, and he was using her name. God, it always felt so good when he did that. But something wasn’t quite right. He was talking to her. And she was seemingly answering.

‘I’m so glad you made it, Rachel. I was so worried about you. I don’t like you having to come home on your own like that.’

‘I’m fine. Don’t worry. I’m here now. We’re both fine.’

‘Yes, both fine. All’s fine now you’re home.’

Narey pushed the door ajar quietly and saw her dad sitting on the edge of his bed with his arm round Jess. She looked up at the door opening and smiled sheepishly. Narey wasn’t sure if what she was feeling was gratitude, anger or jealousy. She gestured outside with her head and waited for the girl to follow. When they were both in the corridor, she closed the door again.

‘You’re pretending you’re me?’

A flush came to Jess’s cheeks. ‘I’m not pretending. Sometimes he thinks I’m you. Maybe because we’ve got the same hair colour, I don’t know. But he does. It’s not good to keep correcting him on things. He only gets worked up. So I let him think it. You’re not always here and it comforts him. I’ll stop if you want.’

‘No. Don’t. It’s . . . it’s okay. If it makes him happy. I can’t be here as much as I want to and—’

‘I wasn’t having a go at you for not being here. Honest. I know you have more important things . . . I mean, like an important job. I—’

‘I get here as often as I can!’ She was angrier with herself than the girl but that probably wasn’t the way it sounded. ‘Look, Jess, thanks for staying to look after him. I really appreciate it. But I’ll take it from here. You should head off home.’

‘Fine.’ The girl shrugged sulkily and turned to leave.

Narey didn’t know what to do but knew she shouldn’t leave it like that. ‘Hang on.’ As Jess spun back towards her, she took her purse from her pocket and took out a twenty-pound note. The girl’s eyes widened with surprise and her mouth fell open.

‘What? I don’t want your money! That’s not why . . . No, just . . . just go see your dad. He might like it if you sing to him. Money?’

Shit. If there was a way of making things worse then trust her to find it. Some days she just shouldn’t bother getting out of bed.