Though at present, Louise actually looked the happiest he’d ever seen her. Her neck was already red and purple with bruising, her left leg had a bandage on the knee, and she was holding an ice pack to her right wrist. But she gave Jonah what was definitely a smile when he went to speak with her.

‘The crew tells me they want your wrist and neck checked,’ Jonah said. ‘Let’s get you taken to Portsmouth General and we can talk later.’

‘You can talk to me right now,’ April said, from her perch next to her. Jonah was glad she had stuck around. There was an awful lot he wanted to ask her.

‘Thank you,’ Jonah said. ‘Perhaps we can take your statement.’

There was nothing in April’s account to suggest that she’d had anything to do with the attack on Louise Reakes. Nothing to suggest that she might be involved in Niall Reakes and Dina Weyman’s drug trafficking, either. Nothing, in fact, to give him any reason to take her into custody. At least not yet.

And counting in her favour was the fact that she’d been the one to call an ambulance, and the one to drag Charlie Ruskin off Louise. She was also determined to come to the hospital, and Jonah told her to ride with him, rather than the paramedics. He shut her into the car, and then watched alongside his team as the ambulance carrying Louise Reakes drove away.

He breathed out in a long sigh. ‘What an utter mess.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Hanson said, looking wretched. ‘I should have thought of asking Step earlier. Ben said – well, he was the one who thought of it.’

Jonah shook his head. ‘Honestly, I’m not sure yet whether this was our mistake or not. We’ll undoubtedly spend a lot of time over the next few weeks trying to work that out. Regardless, you actually did work it out.’ He gave her a tired smile. ‘Which puts you a whole step ahead of your wrong-headed chief.’

He told O’Malley to drive Hanson home, then took Lightman to the hospital along with April Dumont. He glanced frequently in the rear-view mirror at April, but there was nothing in her expression except grim determination.

April stayed with Louise until Niall Reakes arrived, ash-white and frenzied and desperate to see his wife.

There was a curious moment, though, when Niall and April came face to face. Niall faltered, and then gave her a very small nod.

April raised an eyebrow and asked, ‘So you’re here for her now? I can trust you with her?’

Niall Reakes’s voice was very quiet and very raw as he said, ‘Yes. You can.’

April smiled, jumped up from her chair and announced that she was going home.

‘We’ll need you at the station tomorrow,’ Jonah told her.

‘Sure thing,’ April said. ‘Just don’t make it too early, hey? See you, Niall.’