‘Who knew she was at Savvy’s?’ asked Samir. ‘How would Staverton have known to find her there? Or what she looked like.’

‘Kev knew that.’

They looked at each other then shook their heads at the same time. ‘No. No way.’

‘Who else?’

She closed her eyes again, tried to shut out everything else. She groped through the blizzard in her head. Focus. She thought of the cool feel of the metal Muji case, the shape of the cards in her hand. The pang for her badge, every time.

You want to ask questions. You’re not police? Corinna said you’re police in London.

Not any more. We live in Birmingham now, we live with my parents in Hall Green, Lennie’s at St Saviour’s. I work for a friend – here, look, this is my card.

‘Ana,’ she said. The word was a fist. ‘And she knows what Lennie looks like – she was there with Peter when we went to Corinna’s house. She probably has a photo on her phone. Samir – Lennie knows her.’

‘What?’ said Dennis, looking between them. ‘What does that mean?’

‘If Ana’s with Staverton,’ Samir said, ‘he might have used her to get Lennie into the car.’

Silence.

‘Samir,’ Christine said, ‘how did he know you were on to him? The police.’

‘He couldn’t really not, Mrs Lyons. We’ve been turning the city upside down since yesterday lunchtime – we’ve been to every address he’s ever been associated with, spoken to basically anyone he’s ever met.’

‘And you haven’t found him.’

‘Right.’ Samir stood up, took his phone off the table and put it in his pocket. ‘You’re good here?’ He looked at Thomas, who nodded. ‘Guv.’

‘You’re leaving?’ said Christine, panicked.

‘Malia’s going to stay with you. I’ll keep in touch with her by phone. If you need to for any reason,’ he said, turning to Robin, ‘you can call me direct. Here, give me your phone.’ She handed it to him, watched him enter his number.

As she walked him to the door, the landline rang on the hall table. In the dining room, Christine gave a small cry of alarm.

‘There’s no caller recognition on it,’ Robin said. ‘It’s too old.’

Dennis appeared in the arch. ‘Should I answer it?’

Samir nodded.

His hand hovered above the receiver and then he snatched it up. ‘Hello? Oh, hello, son.’ He covered the receiver. ‘It’s Luke,’ he said, ‘Robin’s brother.’

‘Dad?’ said a tiny voice from the earpiece. ‘Have you got someone there?’