Heading over to the sitting-room window, I looked up at the grey-toned sky. I was genuinely confused. Tobey wanted to marry me. Why? He hadn’t mentioned love, not once, but the way he’d looked at me … It would be so easy to believe what my eyes were telling me and all I had to do was remove my own common sense from the equation. I tried to think like a chess player trying to fathom the strategy of her grandmaster opponent. What did Tobey have to gain from marrying me? Not much as far as I could see. I was the granddaughter of Kamal Hadley who’d been a prominent Member of Parliament back in the day, but it was no secret that he’d disinherited my mum and had nothing to do with me. His bigoted feelings towards Noughts were a matter of record. Still, optics-wise, being with me wouldn’t do Tobey any harm, would it? Was that his thinking? What would look good politically? After all, sooner or later, Tobey being charged with Dan’s murder would become public knowledge. These things always did – it was just a matter of time. So what better advertisement and endorsement of his innocence than the fact that his own barrister was now his wife? Lips pursed, I shook my head, not loving the direction my thoughts were taking. Was I overthinking this? Probably.

‘D’you want a drink or something to eat before we leave? It’d be no trouble.’

I turned and shook my head. Tobey now wore a worn black leather jacket over his burgundy T-shirt. His hair was slightly ruffled where he’d dragged impatient fingers through it. One of his old habits. He always did that whenever he was frustrated or upset.

‘So for now we’re still keeping the police out of it?’

‘Yeah, for as long as possible.’

‘Why did you need Jon’s help? What’s he doing that you couldn’t?’ I asked.

‘He can go to certain places and ask particular questions that I can’t. Sometimes having a public persona throws open doors, and sometimes it’s a real pain in the arse and gets in the way of any kind of private endeavour.’

‘I would’ve thought you could go anywhere, do anything, get anything you wanted.’ I raised an eyebrow.

‘Then you’d be wrong,’ said Tobey quietly.

My smile faded. Uncomfortable silence descended, begging to be filled. ‘So you were telling me more about what Jon is up to.’