He folded the bank notice in half and slipped it into his jacket pocket.

He walked out of the study without another word, pushing the paper deeper into his pocket as he reached the foot of the stairs.

By five o’clock on Friday afternoon, a cold autumn rain was drumming on the tall double windows of the living room.

Grant unlocked the front door and steered six-year-old Sophie into the front hall ahead of him.

Margaret came in right behind them with a navy dry-cleaned coat draped over her arm.