‘No comment.’

Exton continued to press Paternoster. ‘Niall, the sent text message at 3.23 p.m. that you have a copy of reads, “See you 5.30 XXXX”. It was sent to an unregistered pay-as-you-go phone, approximately five minutes after you claim your wife left the car to go into the Tesco store. Can you tell us who the intended recipient was?’

Niall Paternoster turned to his solicitor, who shook his head.

‘No comment,’ Paternoster said.

Exton held up another sheet of printout, which he passed across the table. ‘This contains triangulation plots obtained from the two phone companies to which your phone and the anonymous phone were registered. When you sent that text, the location of the anonymous phone was in one of a number of houses in Barrowfield Drive, Hove. At 5.30 p.m. your phone and the anonymous phone had both moved to a point where they came together at a location three miles to the west of Brighton. This location has been identified as the vicinity of the car park of the Devil’s Dyke beauty spot. It indicates you had a rendezvous with the owner of the anonymous phone at this location. Can you tell us anything about this?’

Paternoster, looking very concerned now, again turned to his solicitor, who shook his head once more.

‘No, look, I’ve told you I loved Eden. That’s all I’m saying.’

Potting interjected. ‘Niall, I’d like to remind you that you are under caution. That means, as I’m sure your solicitor has explained to you, that anything you say may be admissible in court. “No comment” does not go down well with juries and we are inviting you to provide information to confirm what you are telling us about your wife’s disappearance.’

In the observation cubicle, Grace glanced at Branson. Clearly, the surprise phone evidence had rattled the solicitor.

Whispering, although he didn’t need to, Branson said, ‘Did you pick up on that, boss? I loved Eden.’

Grace nodded tersely. ‘Freudian slip?’

‘Quite a slip, wouldn’t you say?’ Branson added, then was silent for a moment. ‘But people get het up in interviews – they can be pretty intimidating. Can’t always take everything at face value. Yet there’s something else he said in a previous interview that’s significant and which maybe backs up this slip. He said, Do you people seriously think I would have killed the gravy train when I was down on my luck? Gravy train. That’s a pretty strange remark, don’t you think?’

‘Very,’ said Grace. ‘Like implying, I love my wife because she brings in the money. Not because she’s anything else. Not because he loves her to bits. She’s just his cash cow – for want of a better expression. And now we see he had a get-together up on Devil’s Dyke later that Sunday. What kind of person are you going to meet at a local beauty spot late afternoon? Your accountant?’

Branson grinned.

‘There’s definitely something going on here. Speak to Chris Gee and get his team to search through all the paperwork in the house and see if he can find Eden Paternoster’s will – Niall said they’d both made one. That might be revealing. I’ve already given Emily Denyer the action of getting us a full report on their finances. I’d like to know what he might have to gain by Eden’s death.’