The door opened and DC Moseley entered the room.

I jumped to my feet.

‘I need to talk to you,’ I said. ‘Urgently. I tried to tell the—’

Moseley put up a hand to silence me then gestured to the uniformed officer who had cuffed me. Moseley took the key and unlocked the cuffs.

‘You’re free to go,’ he said.

I stared at him. ‘What? Why?’

He rubbed his neck. He looked tired but alert, like he was running on adrenaline. ‘Some new evidence has come to light.’

‘What?’

‘I’m not able to tell you right now.’

‘Oh, for God’s sake . . .’

The officer holding the cuffs gave me a meaningful look and I shut up.

‘Go home,’ Moseley said. ‘We’ll be in touch.’

‘What about my sister?’ I said. ‘Did you speak to the police in Eastbourne? Has anyone?’

He sighed wearily. ‘Just go home, Mr Sumner. Have a shower.’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘You reek.’

‘You have to call them. I’m reporting a crime. You can’t ignore that.’

‘All right. Jesus.’ He had reached the end of his tether with me. ‘I’ll call them now. OK?’

‘Thank you.’

A few seconds passed. ‘What are you still hanging around for?’

‘I’m waiting for you to call Eastbourne.’

‘For fuck’s sake,’ he muttered. ‘Go home. I’ll ring you shortly. OK?’

I walked home in the rain. It was that fine, drizzling rain that soaks you from head to foot within seconds. My wallet must have been at Sasha’s, probably on her bedroom floor, so I couldn’t get any money out to pay for a cab or get a bus. I needed to get home as quickly as I could so I could plug my phone in and try to call Tilly and Sasha. Plus I would phone Eastbourne station myself, make sure someone was checking out Beachy Head. I alternated running and walking, jogging as far as I could each time until my lungs burned and my legs were on the verge of collapse.

It took me just over an hour to get back, by which point I was drenched, water trickling down my face and stinging my eyes. I let myself in and went up the stairs, opening the door and going into the warmth. I dropped my coat on the floor, kicked off my shoes and stripped off my wet top and socks, headed into the bathroom to grab a towel.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. My hair stuck up from my scalp, my skin looked like the surface of the moon, my eyes were sore and pink. But I didn’t have time to stand around studying the wreck I’d become. I needed to call Tilly, the police and Sasha, in that order.