“Fine. Well, when you’ve done all you can to make yourself look like a respectable citizen whose word could be accepted by a police officer, we will go to the police station where you will tell them exactly what you have told me,” Jennifer said briskly.

She got to her feet. “I have some calls to make, since I’m clearly not going to be at the magistrates’ court this morning. I will see you outside the conference hall in thirty minutes.” As Desmond hauled himself out of the chair and moved towards the door with all the care of a man balancing a tray of eggs, she said, “And Mr. Joyce? Thank you for coming forward. I appreciate that, and so will my client.”

“What do you mean, she isn’t there?” Sophie demanded of the telephone. “You took her into custody, didn’t you? Well, what have you done with her?”

Whatever the beleaguered police officer on the other end of the phone was saying, it was clearly what Sophie wanted to hear. Her shoulders dropped back from their stiff, hunched position and her breathing became more calm. “I see. And when exactly was this?” As she asked the question, the sixth sense that informs lovers of each other’s presence checked in. She swung round to see Lindsay walk into the conference office. Sophie’s face broke into a huge grin of welcome and relief. “It’s okay,” she gabbled into the phone. “She’s just walked in. Thanks.” She dropped the phone back into its cradle. For a moment, the two women simply stared at each other. Then Lindsay opened her arms and they fell into a hug.

The atmosphere their reunion created was so tangible that a handful of the clerical workers in the room broke into spontaneous applause. “Thank God you arrived when you did, Lindsay,” Pauline Hardy called across the room. “I thought she was going to throw that phone through the wall.”

Sophie laughed. “Sorry. But you must know what Lindsay’s like. I had visions of her starting to tunnel out of her cell. Either that or doing the usual Scottish trick of remonstrating with the arresting officer with a chair leg.”

Pauline winked as she headed for the door. “Didn’t they tell you that’s why they released her? The council tax payers of Sheffield couldn’t afford to pay for any more damage to their cop shop. I’m off to the station to pick up some parcels of stationery,” she added, “otherwise I’d offer to buy you a celebration drink. So have one for me!”

“It wasn’t a drink I had in mind,” Lindsay murmured in Sophie’s ear.

“I had a feeling it might not be,” Sophie replied. “That’s why I took the precaution of booking into a hotel.”

Sophie, had barely closed the door behind them before Lindsay was pulling her clothes off.