‘This is just so much rubbish. I haven’t done any of these things, you’re just twisting it all around to suit your story.’

Ignoring him, Exton said, ‘There is also evidence that the car was used in the early hours of Friday morning when Eden didn’t turn up at work. We think you’ve killed her and have tried to cover your ground but have made mistakes.’

Niall jumped to his feet aggressively. ‘I’m just not—’

‘Please sit down,’ Exton said. ‘Please tell us calmly what you have to say about the evidence we’ve highlighted to you.’

He remained on his feet. ‘I’m not talking to any of you lot any more, there’s no point, you’ve made your minds up.’

‘Please sit down,’ Potting said. ‘Otherwise we’ll have you taken back to your cell until you’ve calmed down. We still want to talk about the hidden T-shirt and your kitchen that has been recently bleach cleaned.’

Paternoster sat back down reluctantly. For the rest of the interview he replied ‘no comment’ to every question.

Potting and Exton terminated the interview at 9.45 p.m.

55

Wednesday 4 September

Roy Grace lay awake for a long while, unable to sleep. Partly because of the uncomfortable camp beds they had been given, but also the nightmare unfolding in the hospital. Bruno was almost certainly brain dead.

His thoughts went back to the last conversation he’d had with his son as he’d dropped him off at school in the morning.

Did you know that the ancient Egyptians, when they died and were mummified, had their favourite pets killed and mummified, to go in the tomb with them?

Do you think they did that because they wanted company in their tombs or because they worried their pets would miss them too much – or that no one would take the same care of the animals they did?

It was 3 a.m. Somewhere out in the darkness of the city he heard a pitiful squealing sound. A creature in utter terror. It went on and on. An urban fox taking its prey. He’d heard that sound several times before and it always distressed him, but tonight he thought bitterly, Well, at least there’s two of our hens you won’t be taking.

He thought back to the conversation he’d had earlier, with Inspector James Biggs of the Road Policing Unit, and the statement he’d related from the witness who saw Bruno’s accident.

What if he had done it deliberately to end all this? Did he kill the hens? Because in his confused mind he was worried they would miss him too much?

Trying to turn his thoughts back to the Paternosters, he eventually lapsed into sleep, awaking sometime later from a nightmare in which Cassian Pewe was holding two dead hens up from lengths of string and shouting at Grace that it was all his fault.

Finally, shortly before 5.30 a.m., after lying for ages, tossing from side to side, wide awake, he crept out of the bed and along to the bathroom where he was able to shower and clean his teeth. When he returned, Cleo was still asleep.