From what she could see of them, things were not rosy between Louise and Niall Reakes. By the time she lost sight of them past the trees, they had neither looked at nor spoken to each other.

And then, finally, it occurred to her that she’d got that car wrong: that it had been following them, and not her, from the moment they’d left the station.

Jojo messaged at eight twenty-five to ask whether Jonah would like takeaway at his house, and his response was the largest thumbs up he could get his phone to send. His team had stake-out duty covered, with a couple of Heerden’s uniforms covering the graveyard shift.

That left Jonah free to see his girlfriend, which inevitably made him feel guilty, but was sometimes how things went. He messaged to say he’d be there in twenty minutes, and then sent Hanson a quick text to tell her he was heading home but would have his mobile on at all times.

O’Malley had already left, and Lightman was filling a thermos to take with him. Jonah was waving to him when Hanson messaged back to say that there was another car there, and that the driver appeared to be watching the house. She asked if he wanted her to go and talk to them.

Jonah sighed, and messaged back quickly to tell her to stay where she was.

‘Do we know anyone involved with Alex Plaskitt or the Reakeses who drives a Corsa?’ Jonah asked Lightman, as he returned from the kitchen.

‘O’Malley might know,’ Ben said, picking up his coat. ‘Or I can look it up. Why?’

‘Juliette’s got another car parked up on Saints Row watching the house.’

‘Tell her I’ll be there in fifteen,’ he said, transferring his keys to his coat pocket. ‘We can go and see who it is once I’m there.’

‘It should really be me,’ Jonah argued.

‘Well, you’re currently the only one of us with a girlfriend waiting, so I think you should leave it be. You can pay me back once I’ve sorted my love life out.’

‘Thanks, Ben,’ Jonah said, with relief. He doubted Jojo would give him a hard time if he cancelled on her, but letting her down again would have made him feel crap. ‘Keep me posted on what happens.’

‘Will do.’

Hanson was fixated on the other car. The Corsa was perhaps twenty feet from her, its lights out, but without doubt still occupied. She could just make out a dark shape behind the wheel, an ominously still, unsettling unknown.

Ben had messaged her to say that he was on his way too, and asked as an afterthought whether her psycho ex drove a Corsa. She’d grinned at that.

He wouldn’t be seen dead in anything less than a Merc.