‘Do you? About what?’

She was playing it cool, but Hobbes could see the tiny quiver of a muscle above her cheekbone. ‘I think …’

‘Christ, what now?’

‘I think you’re going out with him.’

She laughed. That was all she could do. It came from nowhere, just mocking laughter.

‘Going out with him! Really. What are you talking about?’

‘His mum said—’

‘That old bat, what does she—’

‘Old? Really? She’s not that much older than you.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘I think you know.’

They were both speaking quietly, hissing at each other. The other officers worked on at their desks, busy with their tasks.

The rain hit the windows at a sharp angle.

‘Oh, God, is this why you came round last night? Is it? You were bothering Kathy.’

‘I wasn’t bothering her.’

‘She said you looked crazy.’

‘Well, is it true? You and Tommy? Is it?’

‘How can you think that? I’ve got fourteen years on him!’

‘Meg?’

Latimer looked away. Her mouth was set in a tight line, the lips almost invisible. And when she turned back, her eyes were fiery. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into a side office, little more than a storeroom. ‘You’ve got a nerve,’ she said.

‘Yeah.’

He noticed that she hadn’t closed the door: a way out?

‘Let’s hear it, Meg.’

‘You wouldn’t understand.’

And then she looked at him, her eyes deep and black, never blinking. She spoke from a true place.

‘We get together, now and then—’

‘I really don’t—’

‘Will you let me finish, please.’

‘OK, I’m sorry. Go on.’

She took one more look at the bullpen through the open door. She waited until an officer had walked by, then said, ‘You know … it’s not that kind of relationship.’

‘What kind?’

‘The kind you’re thinking of.’

‘I’m not thinking anything.’

‘You’re thinking the worst thoughts. I know you.’

‘So?’

‘We never … not like that … Oh, God, it was just strange … weird.’

‘Why am I feeling nervous?’

‘He wanted me to re-enact the events.’

‘What?’

‘To play out the events, you know, of the night when he … when he attacked that cop, with the tyre-iron, and everything. We had to play it out, going over the lines again and again, with Tommy changing it slightly each time.’

Hobbes couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

‘You went along with this?’

She nodded. ‘I wasn’t sure, at first.’

‘No, I can imagine.’

‘But later, as we—’

‘This happened more than once?’

‘A few times, yes.’

Hobbes groaned. He rubbed his eyes. Images swirled in his head. ‘And which part did you play? Oh, God, please tell me he didn’t handcuff you to the radiator. Like … like …’

‘It was play-acting, that’s all. And, anyway, often we swapped roles.’

‘Well, that’s something.’ He sounded bitter. ‘You took turns?’

‘That’s good, isn’t it? It makes it less … weird. Well, I thought so, anyway.’

‘Of course.’

‘And one time …’ Her voice lowered further. ‘One time he rented the room, you know, in the hostel, where it all happened. Two nights running, actually.’