Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen anyone behaving in a suspicious manner, or who may have information about the incident, to contact them at Strand Road Police Station.

‘Fuck,’ I swear, not quite under my breath, as my phone rings that single tone of an internal call. I already know it will be Ryan.

‘Was it you?’ he says as I answer. ‘Is that why you called over on Saturday night in such a strange mood? Was it your place? I’ve a message here saying that a DS Eve King wants to speak to me. What the fuck, Ingrid?’

His voice is quiet, but there’s no denying the angry intonation in his speech. It’s grossly unfair of him to do this over the phone while he very clearly knows I’m sitting in a busy newsroom and not at liberty at all to comment on any late-night visits to his home while his wife was away.

‘Yes,’ I say, keeping my tone professional. ‘It was my place, but I’d prefer not to talk about it. I’ve a lot of work to do here, so do you mind if I just get on with it?’

‘A threatening message, Ingrid. What did it say?’

‘It was just some nonsense. Didn’t even make sense. The police are exaggerating,’ I lie. ‘But look, I’m due in court in half an hour, so I really need to get going.’

I’m actually not due in court. It’s not my day for sitting on the press bench reporting on the city’s penitent petty criminals, but I’ll do it anyway. Tell Trina she can stay at her desk and that I don’t mind going. Anything to get me out from under Ryan’s watch. And tonight, for once, I’ll make sure to leave before him so as to avoid another one of his lectures.

As I pack up my bag, swig back the rest of my coffee and throw a new reporter’s notebook into my bag, I glance through the window that separates Ryan’s office from the rest of the newsroom. He has a face like thunder as he talks to some other poor unfortunate on the phone, possibly even poor DS King. In fact, by the look he fires in my direction, the expression of shock closely morphing into anger, I’m almost sure he is talking to DS King. I grab my phone and rush out of the office. I’ll get a taxi to pick me up from the side of the street and I’ll definitely ring the garage to find out just when they expect my car to be ready.