My family was running the risk of reputational ruin. Already we were known for being loud and eccentric. Now it seems that we had invited someone for dinner and – for entertainment at the end of the evening – murdered our guest.

Unless I could find a way to stop him, an American acquaintance, who had been observing us for years, was threatening to go to the police.

I was furious with my youngest sister. While she was responsible for the death, we would all be obliged to take the blame collectively.