‘Get your coat, we’re going to a hotel,’ I say as he walks into the room.

‘And I didn’t even have to buy you dinner!’ he replies. I roll my eyes.

We’re in the security control room (a rather grandiose term for a small office at the back of the building) of the hotel Reuben claimed he took Anna to after they’d left the bar. The tired-looking receptionist at the front desk couldn’t find a reservation from Friday night under Anna’s nor Reuben’s name, so had shown us to this room and put us in the very capable hands of Steve.

Steve is a broad-shouldered man with a thick head of dark hair and smiling eyes. He taps the mouse until the computer screen shows the front desk from Friday evening. He whizzes through footage of the receptionist, a middle-aged man, trying everything in his power not to nod off.

Once the clock in the bottom corner approaches the time Reuben claims they left the bar, he slows the video down with a click of the mouse. We watch as the receptionist tidies the desk and sorts things away into drawers. He leaves the desk for a few minutes and returns with a cup of tea. We watch for a little while longer, though nothing of note happens and the time frame for Reuben and Anna’s arrival passes. Steve speeds through the footage just to confirm they don’t turn up later than expected.

‘Do you have exterior cameras?’ I ask Steve.

‘We do,’ he nods, ‘but only on the front door. Would you like me to get the footage from Friday night?’ he asks, already making his way to the folder containing the footage without waiting for an answer. He closes the front desk footage and clicks through a few files before a grainier image appears on screen.

‘The outside camera isn’t to the same spec as the indoor ones,’ he says, sounding slightly apologetic, as he starts the footage. As the hotel is at the far end of the main precinct, there is very little footfall. A few people stagger in the direction of the bars further down the street.

After a few minutes, my interest is piqued; Anna and Reuben enter the screen. She has her arm around his neck and he is carefully guiding her towards the doors of the hotel. When they get close, he slides her off and places her on the step outside the doors. He presses the button to be let in, but nothing happens. Perhaps this is the period of time when the receptionist is making his tea.

Anna must say something because he turns to look at her. They appear to have a short conversation, during which he adopts quite aggressive body language. He takes out his wallet and hands her some notes, which she considers for a second before throwing it at him. He says something to her and she shakes her head. He holds his hands up before turning and walking down the street.