Hannah turned her attention to the cops. ‘Are you not arresting him?’153

The plainclothes guy adjusted his stance. He was about the same age as Longhorn, shorter, broader, his hair already receded from his forehead.

‘Can I help you, Miss?’

‘Why aren’t you arresting him?’ Hannah said, reaching the garden.

‘This is none of your business,’ the cop said.

‘My friend is missing and he had naked pictures of her in his desk.’ She pulled the photographs out of her pocket and waved them as she walked up the path.

The uniformed officer took a step towards her, puffing out his chest. He was in a stab vest, and she imagined picking up a rock from the side of the path and hurling it at his head. Instead she sidestepped him and darted up the steps to the front door.

‘You,’ she said, in Peter’s face now. ‘What do you have to say?’

‘You’ve got a nerve.’ This was his wife, stepping forwards. ‘You broke into his office.’

Peter turned. ‘Emilia, please.’

Hannah thrust the pictures in front of Emilia, the naked one on top. ‘Look.’

Emilia shook her head. The baby in her arms looked like it was about to start crying.

‘He’s explained it to the police,’ Emilia said. ‘She was obsessed with him, stalking him.’

‘And you believe that?’

The woman held her gaze as if testing herself. ‘He wouldn’t lie.’

Peter shifted his weight and put his hands out to take the heat out of everything.

‘What about this?’ Hannah flipped through the pictures, came to the selfie of Peter and Mel.

Peter shook his head. ‘She surprised me with a camera one day in the cafeteria. I couldn’t exactly say no.’

‘You’re on a date,’ Hannah said, pointing.

‘No.’154

Hannah waved the pictures. ‘Why did you have these?’

Peter looked embarrassed. ‘She sent them to me, I didn’t know what to do with them.’

Emilia leaned out of the house.

‘Get away from my family,’ she said under her breath.

‘I think we’ve had quite enough.’ This was the plainclothes guy.

Hannah turned to him. ‘I can’t fucking believe this.’

The cop nodded at the pictures in her hand. ‘Those don’t prove anything and they were obtained illegally.’

‘But they’re suspicious as hell.’

Emilia spoke to the cops. ‘Get this bitch away from our house, she’s dangerous.’

‘Emilia, please,’ Peter said.

‘She’s probably obsessed with Peter too.’

Hannah took a step towards her. ‘I beg your pardon.’

She felt the uniform cop holding her arm, pulling at her.

‘Get the fuck off me,’ she hissed behind her. She tried to shake him off but he held firm.

Emilia was in her face now. ‘Just another silly student with a crush.’