Jonah nodded. ‘I’ll see whether Ben can go along, too. If you can manage until one, that’ll probably cover it. We’ll get some uniforms to do the night shift. Domnall, perhaps you can take over in the morning. In place by eight?’

‘Thanks, chief,’ O’Malley said. ‘Very kind of you.’

‘Boss of the year, me,’ Jonah agreed.

Hanson had another message from Jason as she was getting herself ready to leave and felt impatient with it. There was paperwork involved in getting Louise Reakes out of the station, and Hanson needed to be in the car park by the time she and her husband left, ready to ease out into the traffic after them. Assuming, of course, that Niall drove his wife home.

She thought about ignoring whatever Jason had sent. She didn’t want to read anything more from him. Right now, she didn’t want to lay eyes on him again.

But she wasn’t going to get her wish. She had to sit in the same room with him tomorrow, and on all the upcoming tomorrows. And so, once she had her coat and scarf on and her bag looped over her head, she opened up the message.

So you don’t want to tell me your side? To actually discuss this like adults?

It was a good thing Jason wasn’t here in person. The anger she felt towards him then was a fierce, blistering thing. She felt her thumbs punching at her phone screen as she messaged back.

I don’t have anything to discuss with someone who’s willing to take a conversation with some guy he’s met at the pub as absolute truth when it is so very much at odds with the person you claim to know I am. There has clearly been no point to the time we’ve spent together. If there had been, you wouldn’t have been so ready to believe the incredible manipulations of a man I have been trying to block from my life for a very long time.

Her eyes were teary again, but the tears were angry ones. She was so very, very done with feeling betrayed.

Louise stood silently as they handed back her personal effects. They weren’t returning her earring. She supposed that was still some kind of evidence. But her handbag, keys and phone were there. She signed for them and slid everything into its slot in the bag, taking comfort in organising it. It was good to think of that, and not the probing examination that had happened a while before.

Niall was a wordless, looming presence over her shoulder. He seemed unable to bring himself to say anything to her. Which suited her just fine. She couldn’t bear to talk to him. The thought of being trapped in his stupid flashy car was horrible and she was considering telling him to leave. That she would prefer to pay for a cab.