‘She’s been fiercely private about the rape for so long, I think it’d hurt her to have to go into the details now, but she’ll want to help other victims and survivors. I’ll talk to her about it. If she wants to tell her side of it, I’ll explain the history to DI Graham and take the suspension while he investigates.’

‘God, Luc, this is my fault, too. I feel as if I persuaded you to stay silent at the start. Now, you’ll be in more trouble for failing to disclose the rape than if you’d just admitted the whole thing. We’ll see the superintendent together. This is as much my problem as yours.’

‘Are you kidding? What would be the point? It won’t make things any better for you to be suspended with me. In fact, I suspect you’d just make me watch endless black-and-white movies and eat takeaway. I’m not sure how much of that I could take. This is my problem, Ava. You did nothing more than have faith in me and try to protect my reputation. You don’t need to fall on any ill-conceived sword.’

‘It’s just so unfair. Your poor mother will have to relive it all if she wants to ensure the money goes where it should and your career will get put on hold again while the investigation runs its course. Where’s the justice?’

Callanach picked up her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles so lightly Ava barely felt it. She blinked at him.

‘The justice,’ he said, ‘is that unlike the last time I was falsely suspected of a crime, this time I have one friend who I know will stand by me, no matter what. That means more to me than you could possibly know.’

Ava smiled gently, squeezing his fingers then sighing as her mobile began to ring. Callanach’s followed suit seconds later. They each answered, ducking their heads for quiet against the backdrop of noisy lunchers. One look at each other was all it took to have them both running for the door.

The Leamington Road flat boasted a short walking distance from the city centre but little else. The top-floor apartment was made up of just four rooms – kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and lounge – and two of those could only fit one person in at a time. Ava and Callanach had made it there before both Dr Ailsa Lambert and the Scenes of Crime officers, and their first job was to stop the firemen who’d found the body from destroying all the potential evidence.

‘Who called it in?’ Ava asked.

‘Neighbour below smelled burning and called us. He ran up and knocked on the door, but no one answered,’ a fire officer explained.