The footage was typical of a smartphone camera. Unsteady in the extreme. People forget that professional recording equipment is shaped as it is for a reason; to provide the cameraman with stability. Reduce that to fit in a palm and the result is what Sarah was now looking at. A recording shaky enough to induce seasickness. That the phone was already on a ferry only worsened the effect.

‘What am I looking for?’

‘Just wait. You’ll see it in a second.’

Less than a second, in fact.

Sarah had spotted him before Elton had finished speaking. A large, powerfully built man sprinting to the front of the boat. The camera was on his right to begin with, its view blocked by the ferry’s central structure. But once clear of the obstruction the man was unmissable.

‘Do we know who he is yet?’

Sarah did not take her eyes from the screen as she spoke.

‘Not yet,’ Elton replied. ‘Or what he was wanted for. That’s where you come in.’

Sarah was about to ask why, but before she could speak the man moved again. This time sprinting towards and then past the camera. For a moment he was lost in the phone’s movement as its owner turned, trying to follow his path. But then he was visible again. Moving fast towards the ship’s rail.

‘What’s he doing?’

Sarah was speaking almost to herself. As she asked the question the man was throwing his bag over the rail, before taking a leap of his own. He quickly dropped out of shot as gravity kicked in. The man fell fast and had hit the water long before the camera could catch up.

‘That’s pretty damned dramatic.’ Sarah looked away from the screen. Back towards Elton. ‘But I still don’t understand what it’s got to do with me.’

‘It’s not over, Sarah.’ Elton pointed to the screen. ‘Keep watching.’

Sarah did as instructed. She looked back at the screen. The footage was now shakier; the phone’s owner was struggling to keep focus. Mainly caused by the movement of the boat but not helped by imperfect equipment.

Sarah could just about see what she assumed was the same man, now in the water. He was not swimming. In fact, he was barely staying afloat.

‘What is it I’m supposed to see?’ Sarah could feel morbid anticipation growing in her stomach. ‘Does he drown?’

‘Just keep watching.’

Sarah did not ask again and just watched in silence, her eye on the footage timer.

One minute passed. The man was still above water. Two. Still there, but weakening fast. As the third minute approached the camera switched focus. It moved upwards, away from the near drowning man and towards a boat that was moving in fast.

The camera zoomed in, losing some definition as it did so. But the important part of the image became clear as the boat came to a stop: Joelle Levy, her gun raised and pointed towards the water.

‘Levy?’ Sarah looked back to Elton, genuinely surprised. ‘Levy was making the arrest?’