‘Of course I wasn’t,’ April said. ‘Jesus, you think I’d try and get my best friend together with him if I knew he’d sexually assaulted her before and stabbed a guy? I love Louise.’ She fixed him with a very direct gaze. ‘I would probably have killed him for her if it would have saved her life. She’s the only one – the only family I have, and it doesn’t matter that we aren’t blood-related.’

And asked whether she was involved in organised crime, April had laughed, and said of course she wasn’t. That she had enough trouble organising her own life.

Discussing it with Lightman after Louise had given her statement, Jonah admitted that he at least partly believed in April’s ignorance. Charlie Ruskin had successfully convinced the world that Alex Plaskitt had died poetically at the hands of his own victim. The last thing he would have wanted was to meet Louise. The chance of her recognising him was too high.

The conversation had tailed off in uncertainty. Jonah wanted to grill April again the next day, though he suspected she’d be a tricky customer. Louise, at least, had told them everything readily, and then had been given an overnight cell with as many comforts as Jonah could get organised at that time in the morning.

After that, Jonah had finally headed home. He had to wind the windows down for most of the drive. His eyes were desperately heavy and he was seriously concerned about nodding off. He drew the car into Jojo’s driveway as quietly as he could and got himself ready for bed downstairs to avoid disturbing her. And then he climbed the stairs and slid into her very new Egyptian-cotton sheets beside her.

He thought about Alex as he started to drift off. About what a good man he had been, and the unfairness of Charlie Ruskin and alcohol conspiring to kill him.

But at least everyone would know now. Everyone would know what he’d done.

39

By the time Saturday evening came round, Jonah felt like walking right out of the station and not coming back.

It had been a gruelling day, made up of difficult conversations and extensive paperwork. He’d reported to the DCS first thing on Saturday morning, and after a long silence, Wilkinson had asked to meet him for a proper conversation. That second conversation had been probing, and difficult, and had made Jonah feel like he’d failed everyone.

In the end Wilkinson had sighed. ‘My personal feeling is that you made the best decisions you could at each stage. I honestly don’t think anyone could have been more careful, Jonah.’

‘Thank you,’ Jonah said, already braced for what was coming next.