Rosie snuffled a laugh. “I don’t know why I watch it. Even the reruns make me bawl.” A pause as she slurped a drink. “You couldn’t sleep either, then?”

“No. I dozed off for about an hour, but a car alarm woke me and that was that. I’ve resorted to Horlicks.”

“Hell’s bells, these are desperate times.”

Jem picked a chunk of dark chocolate from her cake and dipped it in her drink, letting it melt a little before she ate it. “On the plus side, Ferg made a fab banana loaf.”

“Lucky you. Fluffy and I are sharing bourbon biccies and hot chocolate.”

“Hey, don’t knock bourbons. They’ve seen me through many a night shift.” Jem licked her fingers. She wanted to ask about Kyle, but it seemed too frivolous to broach the subject with chocolate on her hands. “Did you see the headline in the Manchester Evening News?”

“I saw it,” Rosie said, and Jem heard her put her mug down. “Steph persuaded me to work overtime this afternoon, and I searched Kyle’s house with Kash.”

“Steph?” Jem couldn’t place the name. “Have I met her?”

“Sorry, yes, she was there last night. Dark hair, tall. DS Merritt? She’s taking the lead on the case.”

“Ah, right. Mate of yours?” Jem was no detective, but Rosie’s awkward, arse-backwards explanation suggested she and the DS were more than passing acquaintances.

“Long story,” Rosie said, although she sounded quite upbeat about it.

Jem held up a hand, even though Rosie couldn’t see her. “Say no more. Are you allowed to tell me what happened at the house?”

“Probably not, but I don’t think you’re the type to blab, are you?”

“Nope.”

“Did you just do that thing where you lock your lips and throw away the key?”

“Nope,” Jem said again, but then laughed. She’d been tempted.

“Okay, so the Parkers reside on the south side of Curzon, and Kyle has been largely absent from home for about three months.”

Jem stared at the muted television as Rosie described the state of his bedroom, and her impromptu exchange with his eldest sister.

“Steph bollocked me for speaking to her, but I don’t know what else I could’ve done. Turned her away? ‘Look, love, I get that you’re upset, but all this shit needs to be on the record’?” Rosie’s voice had steadily risen, her frustration and anger unmistakable. Jem heard her take a breath and then another. “Sorry, Jem. I didn’t mean to rant on at you.”

“Feel any better for it?”

Rosie paused. “I do, now you mention it.”

“Good. And for what it’s worth, I don’t know what else you could’ve done, and I’d have done the same thing.”