‘Reuben, this is DI Erika Piper. You wanted me to ring you?’

‘Ah detective! The magic of cinema, eh? Amazing what a bit of red food colouring can do,’ he laughs, before taking on a more sombre tone. ‘I just wanted to say no hard feelings. I want Anna’s killer caught as much as you, and if a few hours in the cells rules me out, then I’m happy. I was just wondering…’

Suddenly, there’s a commotion on the other end of the line.

‘Is that the police?’ shouts an American voice down the line.

‘Yes, this is Detective…’

‘I don’t give a fuck what your name is!’ he interrupts. ‘Do you know how much money you cost me by taking Reuben away from set for no reason? He hasn’t done anything wrong and you have wasted a day of filming. Don’t you fucking dare turn up on set again, d’ya hear me?’

With that, the line goes dead. I try to phone back but it goes straight to voicemail.

I retrieve my notebook from my desk drawer and find my ‘to do’ list. At the bottom of the list I add ‘find out more about the American.’

Once added, I peruse the list and wonder what the next step in the investigation should be. My hangover is trying to convince me that a few hours in my own bed is the sensible course of action to take, and I am well within my rights to leave, though I feel DCI Bob wouldn’t be pleased with that decision. I decide instead to verify Reuben’s story about what happened when the three musketeers left the bar together.

I turn on my computer and open up the CCTV file from outside Limas. I fast forward the footage until Anna, Reuben and the man, who must be Ed, emerge from the bar. Ed is about the same height as Reuben, but much thinner, and is wearing a shirt coupled with a smart jacket and jeans. A man-bag hangs at his side and bumps rhythmically against his leg as he walks. He’s clean shaven with short, spiked hair.

The two men have a short discussion before they bid each other goodbye. Ed stands by the bus stop, whilst Anna and Reuben exit the screen. His eyes remain in the direction of his companions, presumably making sure that Reuben is managing OK.

After a few minutes, probably when they are out his view, he perches on the seat of the bus stop. He takes his phone out of his pocket, tapping and scrolling on it for a while whilst absent-mindedly picking his nose with the other hand.

Eventually, a bus pulls up and partially obscures the view of the street outside the bar for just over three minutes. When it pulls away from the kerb, Ed is gone. In the background, people enter Limas in small groups under the scrutiny of a couple of heavy-set bouncers.

In the doorway of the shop next door, a homeless man, who has recently arrived, adjusts himself on the cardboard he is using as a bed. I watch for a few more minutes but nothing of note happens. I exit the file, content that Ed has indeed boarded the bus as Reuben had claimed. I pick up the phone on my desk and ask Liam to come to my room.