‘You can make this a lot easier, however,’ Jonah went on. ‘If, for example, there’s any previous behaviour of this kind you can tell us about …’

Niall gave a slightly helpless expression. ‘Behaviour like – like being involved with a dead man and then …’ He gave a short laugh, and then shook his head. ‘She’s never been in trouble with the law before. I don’t know if that’s what you want to hear.’

‘And she’s never brought anyone else home?’

‘I don’t think so,’ Niall said, a little hoarsely. Niall looked a lot like his friend Patrick, but, as he spoke, Jonah could hear differences. Where Patrick was clearly public-school-educated, Niall’s accent was neutral south-east England. He seemed more open, too. Less in control of his emotions. Easier, Jonah thought, to provoke.

There was a brief silence, and Jonah raised an enquiring eyebrow.

Niall looked uncomfortable, and added, ‘When I’m away, I guess … I wouldn’t know if she was …’

‘You’ve never had reason to suspect?’

Niall hesitated, then shook his head.

‘But the drinking?’

‘I guess …’ He sighed, briefly and sharply. ‘Yeah, it’s a bit of a habit. I mean, not often. A couple of times a month. But it’s always a mess.’

Jonah nodded. ‘Is that to imply that you’ve had to step in at times?’

‘I usually just have to pick up the pieces,’ Niall said. ‘Although these days she mostly waits until I’m abroad, so all I get to see is the terrible hangover. And she’s – she’s a nightmare, hungover.’ He shook his head. ‘Just deeply self-pitying and guilty.’

‘Has she had things to really regret?’

Niall gave a tight laugh. ‘Nothing most people would worry about. She can beat herself up over having said something a bit impatiently, or having lost her keys. Just not … you know. Terrible.’

‘You didn’t get the sense she was hiding worse things? Thinking back to the last few times this has happened?’

Niall paused for a moment and then shook his head. ‘It’s hard to say, but … I don’t think so.’

‘Has she often been unable to recall much of the night before?’ Jonah tried.

Niall gave him a long, considering look before he said, ‘I honestly don’t know. She normally remembers some things, at least. I’m not sure she’d tell me if she had huge blackouts. She said she had once, but …’

Jonah watched him, briefly, and then said, ‘Your wife would like to see you. It’s not standard practice to allow suspects to see family while in custody, but I’m prepared to make an exception, given that you’ve been away from her for several days.’

He saw Niall stiffen slightly. And then, to Jonah’s surprise, he said, ‘I don’t want to see her.’

Jason ambled over to Hanson’s desk while she was writing up her notes on the video footage.