‘Yes, you are.’ He rolled his head to the side to look at her. ‘You’re making it about emotions when I want to keep it simple.’

‘You’ve already admitted to me that your DNA or fingerprints might be on Jenson’s chin. Touching someone’s face is either a loving or an angry gesture. Which was it?’

‘How about he dribbled and I held his chin to wipe it away,’ Callanach replied, reaching out to retrieve his glass.

‘Is that what you wrote in your statement?’

‘Yes,’ he said.

‘How did the vase get broken?’

‘I knocked it with my elbow by accident,’ he said, walking to a shelf to fetch a clean glass and fill it with wine, knowing Ava wasn’t giving his back whatever the medical advice was.

‘Funny. I’ve known you a while now and I’ve never, ever seen you be clumsy. You’re very aware of your surroundings, especially in places like hospitals. Seems out of character to me.’

‘You have to stop digging,’ he said. ‘For your sake and mine.’

‘I said the same thing to you in previous cases and you’ve kept digging until there were no secrets left between us. You did that for me. What is it you don’t want me to know? Come on, Luc. They’ll get your DNA from his face and if the only other DNA is Jenson’s, your dribble explanation isn’t going to wash.’

‘Shit,’ he said. ‘I hadn’t thought about that.’

‘About what?’

‘My DNA being compared with his to make sure there’s no contamination.’ He lurched forwards, clutching his stomach, spilling his newly poured wine and trying not to vomit.

‘I take back what I said about you not being clumsy.’ She smiled gently, taking the glass from his hand. ‘Luc, what’s going on? If you didn’t touch Jenson, whatever really did happen, you’ve got nothing to worry about.’

Ava hobbled to the kitchen to fetch a cloth. Kneeling on the floor, soaking up the worst of the spillage, she tried not to stare at her colleague. Depositing the sopping cloth in the sink, she washed her hands to give Callanach time to compose himself before returning to the sofa.

‘Listen,’ she said gently, sitting at his side, ‘last night you saved my life when I took a risk I had no business taking. I climbed that wall knowing it was foolhardy, but it didn’t occur to me that I could get really hurt, because you were there, holding me. You’re always there when I need you. Let me do the same for you. Please.’

Callanach rubbed his eyes, his shoulders suddenly drooping. He turned sideways along the couch and Ava did the same. They faced one another, legs stretched side by side, and Ava waited for him to speak.