It was almost like old times, Carol thought. Sitting round a table at midnight with Paula and Stacey, drinking coffee and going over a live case, trying to come up with a line of inquiry that would do the business for them. Except it wasn’t. She was kidding herself. Old times had never included Tony in jail, Chris in various kinds of therapy, a teenage kid upstairs and Elinor Blessing in the kitchen making the coffee. Kevin and Sam, the other members of the MIT, had moved onwards and upwards too; she had no idea where they were or what they were doing. This, she had to accept, was a new chapter with scant connection to the past.

‘Thanks for joining us,’ she said to Stacey.

Stacey flipped open a slender laptop. ‘Paula explained about Tony. I wanted to help.’

I deserved that. ‘Of course. He was always ready to put himself out for us.’

Elinor came through with a tray of steaming mugs. ‘Coffee all round. I’d worry about it keeping you awake, except that you’re all cops and it has as much effect on you as on doctors.’ She handed out the drinks and put a plate of chocolate digestives on the table. ‘Lucky for you I got fresh supplies of biscuits in. Torin seems to inhale them.’

‘How is he doing?’ Carol stirred milk into her coffee and reached for a biscuit.

‘I don’t know him well enough to be certain,’ Elinor said. ‘He’s obviously deeply upset but I think he doesn’t really know how he’s supposed to react. He’s got no experience of grief to draw on. It’s like he’s not sure what he’s feeling.’

‘Still in shock,’ Paula said, keeping his secrets. ‘I don’t think it’s begun to sink in yet.’

‘Poor boy,’ Stacey said.

Carol tried not to show her surprise at Stacey displaying empathy with a carbon-based life form. Then she remembered Paula’s revelation that their former computer guru had been seeing Sam Evans socially. Maybe even romantically. Yet another reminder that this was not old times. ‘Arresting the wrong person’s not going to help,’ she said.

‘I’ve already said I’m sorry about that. I did try to persuade Fielding to wait, but I think she’s got one eye on the brass. Trying to make an impression.’ Paula shook her head. ‘And Tony doesn’t help himself.’

‘I never thought I’d be grateful for Bronwen Scott,’ Carol said. ‘All we have to do now is demolish your case, Paula.’ She held up a hand as Paula opened her mouth to protest. ‘I’m not blaming you, I know it’s DCI Fielding who drove this. I just said “you” because you’re the only one here officially involved.’

‘Exactly,’ Stacey said. ‘I’m not actually here.’