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The trouble was, despite the flapping of her hand, the thought hadn’t gone away. Like a bothersome bumble bee at a summer picnic, it kept coming back, disturbing Julia’s peace of mind with its buzzing, buzzing, buzzing. In her years as a social worker, Julia had learnt to pay attention to what didn’t seem right. She knew to listen to her instincts. They weren’t always spot-on, but they were always worth a second thought and further investigation.

She allowed the insect thought to buzz around in her brain, as she walked along the pavement through the main road of Berrywick, past the hardware shop and the butcher, past the post office and the grocery shop, with Jake loping happily at her side.

Oscar and Jane had been high school sweethearts forty years ago. That meant nothing. There was no reason to think there was any connection between their teenage relationship in the distant past and the terrible events of Saturday. In fact, it was quite unlikely. And besides, it was none of Julia’s business.

But Julia also knew that people had a way of harbouring resentment. Forty years ago, Graham had won Jane and broken Oscar’s heart. Was it really a complete coincidence that Oscar was the one who had pulled the trigger, causing Graham’s death? If it was, there was a certain poetic karma to it. But was it more than that?

Jake stopped to sniff at a particular spot on a hedge that looked no different from any other they’d passed. Julia wondered idly what information he got from his sniffing. Did he recognise other dogs that had been there before him? Did he smell rabbits? Maybe a fox? Did he know how long ago they’d passed by? If he did, he didn’t fret about it, or make judgements or take decisions, or feel the need to intervene in any way. He just absorbed whatever information there was and moved along. No wonder he was so cheerfully untroubled by life.

Unlike her chocolate Labrador, Julia’s lot in life was to be forever trying to make sense of the world – questioning, deliberating, seeing how she might make things a little better.

The question in Julia’s head was whether to tell DI Hayley Gibson about the connection between the shooter and the victim’s wife. Hayley didn’t welcome Julia’s interference in her investigations, and Julia would prefer not to have to go to her with information and look like some village gossip. Lord knows, there were more than enough of those about. In fact, it was more than likely that someone else had already told Hayley about Oscar and Jane, Julia thought, hopefully. The people of Berrywick loved a bit of a story, even if that story was older than the teller. That would mean Julia wouldn’t have to tell her. She was off the hook. Problem solved.

Jake tugged sharply at his lead, pulling Julia out of her deliberations and along the road. She soon saw why. He had recognised Hayley Gibson, walking towards them as if summoned by Julia’s pondering.

‘Hayley! I was just thinking about you.’

‘You were, were you?’ Hayley said, bending down to pat Jake who could not get over this surprise arrival. You’d have thought she’d been raised from the dead, the way he fell upon her in delight.

Hayley’s response had been more of a statement than a question that invited a reply, but Julia forged on nonetheless.

‘Yes. I was thinking about the investigation, of course. Graham’s death. I suppose it’s on everyone’s minds.’

‘Not mine, right this instant. I’ve popped out to buy a sandwich, and was hoping to clear my head of that just for a minute.’

‘It does help sometimes, doesn’t it? To not think about something for a while? You sometimes get a fresh perspective, instead of going round and round on the same route. I was just thinking, though, that Oscar…’

Hayley fixed her with a serious look. ‘I can’t discuss this investigation with you, Julia.’

‘I know, of course you can’t.’ Julia paused. Before she could stop herself, she added, ‘It’s just that I heard something. Something about Oscar. Did you know that he and Jane had a history? A romantic history? It seems that they were involved at school. Jane broke his heart, apparently. I was just wondering…’

Hayley kept her face as expressionless as the sphinx. She gave nothing away, no indication of whether what Julia was saying was news to her or not. ‘Again, Julia, I’m not going to discuss the details of this case, or what I do and do not know, with you.’

‘I know, Hayley, and I wouldn’t expect you to. I just wanted to give you a heads-up on Oscar and Jane. Not that I think there’s anything to it, necessarily. And the village grapevine being what it is, you’ve probably heard already in any case, so it really…’

‘Julia.’

Hayley’s forceful tone stopped Julia mid-sentence. Even Jake looked up nervously. He hated raised voices and any hint of conflict.

‘I don’t think you are hearing me, Julia. You are too close to this case. Not just close, actively involved in the crime scene! You were working with the props. Your best friend wrote the script that led to the shooting. Not to mention that you yourself handled the gun. In fact, along with Tabitha, you are theoretically one of the potential suspects in this investigation. So, hear me when I tell you that: You. Can. Not. Get. Involved.’

Julia barely heard the last few words. Her brain was stuck on the phrase ‘one of the potential suspects’, like a needle on an old vinyl record.

Hayley was talking again. Julia heard ‘…none of your usual shenanigans…And DC Farmer will be in touch to have you come in again to go over your statement.’

‘Right, of course. Whatever you need, Hayley. I’ll tell you whatever I know.’

Hayley’s voice softened a little. ‘Thank you, Julia. There’s quite a list, a lot to get through, but we will talk in the next day or two. You can tell me everything you know. Now, I’d best be getting on.’

Hayley gave Jake one last pat and walked away, crossing the road, heading to the shops.

Julia was rooted to the spot, unable to move, the phrase ringing through her head:

One of the potential suspects…

One of the potential suspects…

One of the potential suspects…