Suddenly Clare was aware of the goulash lying heavy on her stomach and a sense of unease overtook her. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘That’s quite something.’ Somewhere, in the far reaches of her mind, she was transported back a couple of years. Sitting in this very house, having a similar conversation with her ex-partner, Geoffrey Dark. He had told her of an opportunity but it had meant him moving away to Boston. He’d assumed Clare would want to go with him and it had been the beginning of the end for their relationship. Was it happening again?

‘I don’t want to jinx it,’ he said. ‘Do you mind if we don’t talk about it?’

‘Oh,’ Clare said again, not sure what else to say. ‘Erm, of course. If you prefer.’

He wrapped his arms round her and kissed the top of her head. ‘Coffee?’

‘No,’ she said. ‘I mean, no thanks.’ For some reason she felt like being awkward. ‘I might go up and have a soak.’

He smiled. ‘Sure you don’t mind me not talking about the job?’

‘Course not,’ she said, but she didn’t meet his eye.

‘You go on then. I’ll clear up down here.’

She knew she should offer to help. He’d made the meal. She ought to clear up. But instead she heard herself say, ‘Thanks, I will if you don’t mind.’ Opening the door she beckoned to Benjy who leapt to his feet and followed her upstairs. She closed the bathroom door and turned on the taps. She poured some of her favourite Jo Malone bath oil in and sat down on the toilet lid, waiting for the bath to fill. Benjy put his front paws up on her legs, as though sensing she was upset and she bent to his face, wrapping her arms around him. ‘You’ll never leave me, will you Benjy?’ And she felt the comfort of his tail beating against her legs.

Day 10: Monday

Chapter 53

Clare was delighted to see the reporters and camera crews had gone from outside the station.

‘Press release gone out then?’ she said as she entered the staff kitchen.

‘Must have,’ Chris said. ‘We charged them all last night.’

She bent to put her lunchbox in the fridge and she thought back to last night. She’d gone straight to bed after her bath and had lain there next to the DCI, stiff as a board, a thick atmosphere separating them.

Over breakfast he’d asked her if everything was okay and she’d said yes that it was probably just the cold in her head.

Don’t overdo it today, then, he’d said and she’d said of course she wouldn’t then headed out to the car.

‘Any reply to the charges?’ she asked Chris.

‘Only David Fox. Said prison would be a new experience, that a change was as good as a rest.’