Kelly longed to talk to Johnny but Josie needed him even more now. Any distraction from her about her job would be crass and selfish. She realised how heavily she relied on his wisdom, his calm, and his logic. But then she chided herself and gave herself a stern reminder of her status before the man now in her life. She had this. She could get the result she wanted on her own. Affirmation, confidence and encouragement were all very nice if you could get it, but they were luxuries. She was the detective, and this was her job.

Ted looked smart in a suit as he strode across the tarmac, accompanied by airport staff. Carlisle was still in sunlight, though low cloud limited visibility. Heathrow basked in thirty degrees and she missed the southern Indian summers enjoyed down there. She smiled at him and he hugged her. They boarded and final flight checks were already in full swing. The British Airways crew had been briefed and they were given front row seats.

Since the airport opened earlier in the year, Kelly hadn’t used it, but now, when they took off, she stared out of her window, at the National Park below them, in awe. She couldn’t think of a finer view. It stilled her nerves.

Forty minutes later they were on the ground and escorted off the plane, minutes after it came to a stop. A detective introduced himself and a colleague and they climbed into an unmarked BMW. Blues were only occasionally necessary, as they approached the Bracknell junction and crossed between the M4 and M3 into countryside and towards the huge hospital, famed for its lethal inmates. It was fully dark now and Kelly couldn’t make out the building until it loomed large between the trees, lit faintly by security lights. She could have been approaching a grand, remote hotel if it weren’t for the barbed wire and lookout towers.

Ted squeezed her hand. They hadn’t talked much the whole way. Ted had seen Amy’s work himself: he didn’t need reminding. Having him there was a source of reassurance and he soothed her just by being next to her. The last time she’d seen Amy, she’d sworn she’d never go back. This was duty. For some screwed up reason, Amy Richmond had developed some kind of obsession and would talk to no one else. It was perverse, but Kelly pushed it from her mind. She had work to do.