Jane had tried to reassure us that his service was snowed under and it might be weeks before he’d track us down, but violent death creates VIPs. Our phone was ringing when I walked in from work the next day. ‘Dr Wilde?’ The voice was irritatingly calm. ‘Lester Hardy here. Family court adviser.’ ‘Yes?’ ‘We weren’t able to meet after the hearing yesterday.’ ‘No.’ I could hear what he was thinking: difficult woman. ‘The judge has ordered me to prepare a report on Mr Scott’s contact application. I need to talk to you and take on board your views.’ ‘I can give you my views right now,’ I declared. ‘The answer’s a definitive “no”. The children don’t remotely want to see him. It would do nothing but damage.’ He must have heard it all before; there was no change of inflection in his voice. ‘It’s very important that I meet you and Mr Wilde.’ ‘I work twenty hours a week,’ I snapped. ‘I look after three children. Time is extremely precious.’ ‘I can fit in with your schedule.’ ‘And will you also see the children?’ ‘Together, we can plan how best I might approach them.
