‘What do we know?’ Freya asks. He sees her miserable expression and feels like he’s let her down.

‘We know from the CCTV that someone else was driving his car, and we know Amy Miller has an alibi.’ He sees Freya about to protest. ‘I’m sorry, but even if Olivia Cross is lying, we have the waiters from the restaurant who confirm her story. And the laptop’s down with the techies,’ he continues. ‘I’ve asked them to get through the password protection but do nothing else.’ She looks at him, but doesn’t ask. ‘Get on the backgrounds for all our main suspects,’ he finishes.

‘How far back?’

‘As far as you can. Back to childhood, if there’s something. I’ll chase up forensics, have another look for CCTV.’

She nods and turns away from him. The techies didn’t ask where the laptop had come from, now wiped down and placed in a new evidence bag; they just took it eagerly. A new code to break. But he knows people will ask questions about the continuity of exhibits, so first thing this morning he pulled up the report filed after the original search and carefully added it to the list of evidence seized. It isn’t great, but it will have to be enough. And falsifying records isn’t the worst thing Robin has done in his career.

An hour later, and constant phone calls to the council haven’t brought up any new CCTV from the area around the Premier Inn. Robin’s phone rings, and he hesitates, seeing the name on the screen. Steph.

He debates declining the call, but knows they need to talk.

‘DS Butler, I have results back on the tox screen from your asphyxiation victim.’ Steph’s voice is hard and businesslike.

‘Steph, please,’ Robin begins, but she cuts him off.

‘Robin, I don’t have time today. I have two PMs to complete. I just need to give you these results.’

‘Fine.’ He imagines her face at the other end of the line, mouth tense, eyes cast down.

‘Jonathan Miller had a blood alcohol level of 0.1 at the time of death—’

‘So nothing significant.’

‘No. And consistent with the alcohol found in his stomach contents. Plus trace of some sort of benzodiazepine, although I can’t tell which at this stage, and a cyclopyrrolone.’

‘Which means?’

‘He was sedated, and by some amount. The quantities in his blood, and adding this to the fact that there was very little food in his stomach, means he would have been woozy, if not unconscious when he died.’

‘Thanks. And Steph…’ he begins, but she’s hung up. ‘Fuck,’ he mutters under his breath.

Freya turns. ‘That was Steph?’

‘Yeah. Jonathan was sedated when he died.’

‘So that proves murder?’ she says, her voice rising.