‘I suppose we have money and … the only thing I remember about the later part of the night is that at some point I was afraid. I have this … fragment of a memory, and there’s a man’s voice in it, hushing me.’ Her eyes took on a slight sheen. ‘It might have been him.’

Jonah looked at her expression, which seemed halfway between eager and agonised. As if Louise both wanted to believe this and desperately didn’t all at once.

The highly anticipated data from Alex’s phone arrived just after they’d left Louise to eat sandwiches with her solicitor. Jonah forwarded it to Lightman and, before leaving to speak to Issa, asked his sergeant to run a quick check for Louise Reakes’s phone number.

‘Nothing,’ Lightman said, after running a search. ‘And no Louise listed in his contacts.’

‘OK. Any messages sent last night?’

Lightman scrolled through the records. ‘Quite a few to and from his husband, plus one two-minute phone call at a bit before midnight. A couple between him and Step Conti, but that’s it.’

‘OK.’ Jonah put a hand on his shoulder. ‘I’d like a full report, if you’re OK to wade through.’

‘Sure.’

Of course he was OK. Ben Lightman was always OK with the kind of in-depth, laborious work that would have driven most people mad. There was a reason two of the new Intelligence staff had now nicknamed him the Cyborg. Though there was another related reason, too. One of them had been infatuated with him and had made a move on him at a retirement party a couple of months ago, but Ben hadn’t been interested. He never was.

Jonah turned to Hanson and nodded towards the door. His constable rose readily, grabbing her jacket and handbag.

‘Issa is at home and ready to talk. I’m stopping at Costa on the way,’ he added. ‘In case you need anything.’

‘God, yes,’ Hanson replied. ‘I could murder a ham and cheese melt.’

The traffic was still heavy. Travelling back and forth across the city was a time-consuming element that Jonah could have done without, but he specifically wanted to talk to Issa at home. He wanted access to any recent videos Alex had made and to his email accounts, if possible. Anything that might contain some form of contact between him and Louise.

‘What went on with Louise Reakes in the interview room?’ Hanson asked between mouthfuls, once they were back on the road and attempting to eat hot sandwiches without letting any cheese ooze anywhere.

‘She’s not admitting to anything except moving the body,’ Jonah replied. ‘And even then, she says she thought he was alive and was dragging him to the neighbours’ for help.’

Hanson gave a slight laugh. ‘I’m sure we’d all immediately try to lift a ninety-kilo man down the stairs.’

‘My thoughts entirely,’ Jonah agreed.

‘Has she told us anything about last night?’