‘I’m sorry,’ she said, looking at the screen and then back at them. She squeezed her hands together, and Jonah could see that they were shaking. ‘But I really wasn’t trying to hide anything. And it doesn’t mean anything. I wasn’t out with some gang or with the victim or anything.’

O’Malley and Jonah remained silent, but O’Malley pressed the play button.

There was a short pause, while all that showed on-screen was the bouncer shuffling closer to the desk to say something to the woman who was manning it. All they could see of the latter was the top of her head, her parting a bright, white line in her dark hair.

And then another figure appeared. Taller than the bouncer, and slightly wider across the shoulder, though he was definitely a great deal slimmer around the waist. He slid his feet a little, a sign of drunkenness perhaps less severe than Louise’s.

When Jonah glanced at Louise, she looked dumbstruck. Horrified.

‘What …?’

‘This is Alex Plaskitt leaving at just after one thirteen. He was only a minute and a half behind you.’

There was absolute silence as O’Malley let the video play for a short while longer, and then paused it once again.

Louise eventually turned towards Jonah. ‘But I didn’t know him.’ She put one of her shaking hands flat out on the table between them. ‘When I saw him in – the garden, I didn’t recognise him. I can’t have met him. Please believe me.’

‘But you claim not to remember major details of the night,’ O’Malley said. ‘How can you be sure?’

‘Because I’d surely have felt some … hint of recognition,’ she said, her eyes very wide.

‘You didn’t talk to him earlier in the evening?’ O’Malley went on.

‘Please listen to me.’ Louise sounded close to crying, but she took a deep breath and went on. ‘It’s the world’s worst coincidence, him being there and us being there too. But I promise you, I didn’t know him.’

‘So please enlighten us as to how he ended up dead in your front garden,’ Jonah said, his voice dripping with acid.

‘I don’t know,’ Louise said, with something between frustration and earnestness. ‘It’s so fucking mad, and – and horrible.’ She shook her head. ‘Maybe … maybe he followed me for some reason. Maybe he was attacked outside the club, and he stumbled after me. I don’t know if that’s even possible, but I’m telling you I don’t remember him at all.’ She balled her hands into fists. ‘April will tell you. She’ll remember more.’

‘You left without her,’ Jonah reminded her. ‘You could well have met up with Alex Plaskitt without her knowing.’