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whether that statement indicated her reason for deciding not to have a family, or whether it was a kind of warped consolation for having tried and failed.
    â€˜Who are Starr’s particular friends in this clique?’
    The other woman got to her feet with a smile. ‘I’ve something nice in the kitchen. I’ll fetch them then we can go on with our chat.’ A moment later she returned holding a fancy tin. ‘I made these last night. Didn’t know what else to do with myself knowing I wouldn’t get to sleep if I went to bed. They’re Den’s favourites. Have a couple.’
    Connie declined the chocolate-covered buns and repeated her question. She heard the reply through a mouthful of cake.
    â€˜They’re all as thick as thieves. Do everything together.’ She took a gulp of coffee. ‘Starr’s never lonely. I mean, she doesn’t need anything from me. Not that I’d refuse to help her if she was in trouble. You mustn’t think that. But she has plenty of friends who are her kind, who would see she was OK . Mind you, soon after Melody was born she was very unhappy. Wanted him to leave the Army. Den told me Flip was uptight about it, but that was before Welfare sorted out the crèche for the kids. Starr calmed down after that, especially when he agreed she could go to her Mum while he was away.’ She gave a fey kind of smile. ‘Lovely and quiet here for five months. No banging and clattering; no kids squalling.’
    Connie picked up on that news. ‘Mrs Keane went to the UK while her husband was in Afghanistan?’
    Another bun began to be devoured. ‘Den said it was the only way Flip could stop her persecution. I couldn’t repeat to you what I was told she did to make him get out.’ She shuddered. ‘How any woman could behave like that I . . . Apparently ,’ she continued with relish, ‘he said he’d consider leaving when he returned at the start of this week. Well, she arrived here ten days ago – I heard doors banging and the kids whining so I knew they were back – and she starts going at him the minute he walked in the door.’ She appealed to Connie. ‘Do you feel sorry for him, or not? I was feeling low with Den going off just a few days before, and I admit I did think she should have made a bit of a fuss of him after what he’d been through. But not her !’
    â€˜This quarrel you heard on Friday night,’ prompted Connie.
    Sarah Goodwin’s eyes lit with excitement. ‘Oh, that , I almost called the Redcaps. I mean, it was much worse than the usual mud-slinging and Starr’s screeching. It sounded like furniture being thrown about, and Flip was shouting as much as her. I’ve never heard him yell like that at her before. Talk about swearing ! He’d really lost it.’
    Crumbs of chocolate bun dropped from her mouth as she warmed to her theme. ‘After a whole lot of thudding and crashing, when I thought someone must be getting hurt, it suddenly went quiet. That frightened me more than the ding-dong. Alone here without Den I just huddled in the duvet and prayed it had stopped.’
    â€˜But you didn’t call the RMP post on the base.’
    â€˜Den says it’s always best not to get involved. We have to live next to them and Starr could make things very unpleasant for me without a husband here to sort it out. I didn’t get any sleep, you know, worrying about it,’ she offered as if by way of mitigation.
    Connie lost her patience with this feeble woman. ‘You have heard that Philip Keane has been murdered, haven’t you?’
    â€˜It’s all round the base,’ she murmured, fiddling with the paper cases from three chocolate buns she had eaten. Then she had a thought and looked up swiftly. ‘No, no, he wasn’t killed then . I’d never forgive myself if . . . No, I heard them both talking at breakfast