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Megan followed her out of the kitchen.

Toby was left alone with Rickover, who seemed as unhappy as the rest of them. He broke out a Polo for the dog.

It was all going to be all right, he told himself. Bill would hire a good lawyer who would find ways to show that Alice couldn’t possibly have killed Sam, despite having been seen visiting him at the time of his death. And that there was a perfectly good reason why she should lie to her husband about where she was.

Why did she do that? Didn’t she trust him? Why couldn’t she have trusted him with whatever it was that she was thinking? With whatever she was talking to Sam about?

Rickover whined. Toby bent down to scratch him behind the ears. ‘You and me both,’ he said.

Megan returned, carrying a bottle of wine. She reached up for two glasses from a kitchen cupboard, found a corkscrew and went to work.

‘Here,’ she said.

Toby took his glass gratefully.

‘To freedom,’ said Megan and knocked back half her glass in a gulp. Then the other half, and she refilled it.

‘To Alice’s freedom,’ said Toby. He drained his own glass and thrust it out. Then he slipped the dog another mint.

‘Does Alice know you do that?’

‘No.’

Megan cocked her head. ‘Bet she does.’

‘Probably,’ said Toby.

They drank again, more slowly this time. The wine was very good. Toby checked the bottle: a 2006 Margaux.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Megan. ‘There are six of them.’

‘I can’t believe they’ve arrested her,’ said Toby.

‘Maya’s right. They’ll realize their mistake soon enough.’

‘I think your father might be able to help her,’ said Toby. ‘I’m sure there are things he knows that he’s not saying that would explain what’s going on.’

‘Oh yeah,’ said Megan.

‘Do you have any idea what those things might be?’

Megan shook her head. ‘No more than you. Alice might know. There’s stuff Dad would tell Alice that he wouldn’t tell the rest of us.’

‘I can believe that,’ said Toby. He drained his glass. He was feeling slightly better: the alcohol and the company.

Rickover whined.

‘Do you reckon it’s his suppertime?’ Toby said.

‘Could be.’

‘There must be dog food in this house somewhere.’ The two of them searched the kitchen, and found a stash. They poured some into Rickover’s bowl; he seemed to appreciate it.

The wine was fast disappearing.

‘You really love her, don’t you?’ Megan said.

‘Of course I do.’

‘Don’t you think she is a bit uptight?’

‘Yeah, she’s uptight. But that’s part of why I love her.’

‘Oh, I’m not knocking it. I just don’t know how you can stand it. Miss Perfect.’

Toby felt a flash of anger. ‘Hey! Miss Perfect is in jail on a murder charge.’

For a moment Megan looked as if she was about to argue, then she slumped back in her chair. ‘Sorry. You are right, of course. I always want to argue with Alice, even when she’s not here. And Dad. We need another bottle. They’re in the basement.’

Toby went down to the dusty cellar and found the five bottles of Margaux. He hesitated; did they really need such an expensive wine? They did. He grabbed two and returned to the kitchen.

‘It’s Alice who keeps our family together,’ said Megan. ‘It looks like it’s Dad, but it’s Alice who keeps him together. Maybe that’s why I give her a hard time. Maybe I’m jealous that it’s not me everyone relies on.’ She attempted a grin. ‘Although they’d all be in real trouble if they did that. I’m the flaky one.’

Toby opened one of the bottles and poured two more glasses. He wasn’t going to contradict her.

‘I’m scared, Toby,’ Megan said. ‘We need Alice. Alice is the one to spring me from jail, not the other way around.’

‘Bill will sort it,’ said Toby, with more confidence than he felt. He frowned. ‘You don’t think your dad believes she actually did it, do you?’

‘No. No way,’ said Megan. ‘If there was a problem, Alice would find a solution, and a lot better one than murder. Dad knows that. Alice would never kill anyone. Alice wouldn’t drive at thirty-one through the village; you know her.’

‘I do.’

‘Well then?’

Toby didn’t answer.

‘Hey, Toby.’ Megan put her hand on his. ‘Don’t doubt her. You can’t doubt her. She needs you.’ Her brown eyes stared intensely at him through her glasses.

‘I’m not doubting her,’ Toby protested, but he knew that was exactly what he was doing. He didn’t really believe that Alice was capable of murder. But he could believe that she wouldn’t shrink from a difficult course of action if she decided it was the right one. ‘Something’s going on that she’s not telling me, clearly. And it’s probably something pretty bad.’

Megan withdrew her hand and drank her wine. ‘Maybe we should figure out what exactly that is.’

They were getting close to the bottom of the second bottle but no closer to figuring anything out, when Rickover leapt up from beneath the table and started barking. A moment later they heard a car pull up outside.

Bill and Lars appeared. But no Alice.

Bill glanced at the three bottles on the table. ‘Is that the Margaux?’ he said.

‘Yeah,’ said Megan. ‘Want some?’

Bill looked about to protest. Then he grabbed a couple of glasses from the cupboard and pulled up a chair next to Toby. His face, usually so strong, had become haggard. ‘Yes.’

Megan filled the glasses. Lars and Bill drank from theirs.

‘So, they didn’t release Alice?’ Toby said.

‘No,’ Bill replied. ‘They’re keeping her in overnight. The good news is they haven’t charged her.’

‘That’s good news?’ said Megan. ‘How long can they lock her up for?’

‘Thirty-six hours, apparently. I made a couple of calls and I’ve gotten hold of a good criminal solicitor from London. She’s driving up here now.’

‘That’s something,’ said Toby. ‘Good. Thank you.’

Bill raised his eyebrows in a ‘she’s my daughter’ gesture. ‘She’s going to be OK. The lawyer has told her not to say anything until tomorrow morning.’

‘What about us?’ said Toby. ‘Presumably we have to answer the police’s questions.’

‘Yes,’ said Bill. ‘But we don’t have to tell them too much.’

Toby felt a flash of anger in his chest, not helped by the three-quarters of a bottle of Bordeaux he had drunk. ‘Why shouldn’t we tell them everything?’ he said. ‘It’s the truth that’s going to free Alice.’

Bill gave him a tired smile. ‘That’s correct. Probably. But it’s best to let the lawyer decide the strategy. She was very firm on that.’

‘What did they ask you, Lars?’ It was Megan. Interesting she asked Lars and not her father, Toby thought. Smart.

‘Same as before,’ said Lars with a glance at Bill. ‘What happened on the submarine. What Sam spoke to us about. His visit with me in Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago. Where everyone was last night.’

‘And what did you tell them?’ Megan said.

‘The truth,’ said Bill.

‘Did you tell them what happened on the submarine?’ said Toby.

‘No,’ said Bill. ‘We can’t. It’s Classified. And it has nothing to do with Sam Bowen’s death.’

‘How do we know that?’

‘I know,’ said Bill, his deep voice at its most authoritative. ‘And you shouldn’t tell them the details of what Sam spoke about either.’

‘Why not?’ Toby asked. ‘If it will get Alice out of jail.’

‘Because it won’t get Alice out of jail.’

‘How can you be so sure?’

For a second, Bill looked irritated. But then he controlled himself. ‘I can be sure because I know it has no relevance. Look, Toby. And Megan. I shouldn’t have invited you in to that meeting with Sam. I only did it because it seemed like a safe way for you to hear what...’ Here he paused. ‘What may have happened on the Alexander Hamilton . But I would never have done it if I knew the police would be asking questions about it the next day. So I would like you both to promise me you won’t tell the police the details.’