Dennis had taken her hand, squeezed it so hard her knuckles ground together, and she’d heard the reporter say, ‘… DI Webster. To confirm, this is a murder investigation?’

The camera moved to a man of about forty-five wearing a wax jacket over a suit. Broad face, short brown hair greying at the temples. Large brown eyes.

‘That is how we’re treating it, yes,’ he said. ‘Obviously, the fire damage is significant so it’ll take time to establish exactly what happened here but we do have evidence that the fire was started deliberately.’

‘And you’re appealing for help from the public?’

He looked directly at the camera. ‘Yes. We’re keen to talk to anyone who was in the Edgbaston area last night and saw or heard anything that struck them as unusual. We’re also appealing to anyone who may have seen Josh Legge or believe they know his whereabouts. Mr Legge was last seen late yesterday evening, shortly before the fire started, but not since then, and we’re particularly anxious to talk to him.’

A photograph appeared onscreen. Robin recognized it: Boxing Day two years ago, she’d been there when Kath took it. Josh was standing by the sitting-room fireplace, a glass of wine in his hand, wearing the chunky grey jumper Rin had given him for Christmas and the saggy old dad jeans she mocked him for. Kath had caught him at the end of a laugh, eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth turned up, emphasizing a dimple in his right cheek. Robin had seen the expression a thousand times – Josh laughed easily, he was such a soft target – and yet it seemed transfigured now, the half-closed eyes not twinkling, fanned by smile lines, but narrowed to calculate, look askance, the smile not open but wry. Sly. As if in front of the Christmas fire, his family around him, he was envisaging the future, raising a toast.

‘We’re advising anyone who sees Mr Legge not to approach him but to dial 999 or contact the incident room directly on this number.’

Robin had felt a flare of frustration: were West Midlands Police up to this? They were presenting him as their suspect but what evidence did they have? They couldn’t have any: he hadn’t done it. All that talk of other lines of enquiry – as far as she could see, it was nothing but lip service. There was nothing new in the report, not a single bit of information she hadn’t heard from Thomas and Patel hours ago.