I feel my heart beat faster and my face redden. It’s going to be me with the first guy two weeks ago. I just know it. The screen opposite flickers to life and I watch as CCTV footage begins. A picture of me and the first guy appears. I’m wearing a tight red dress and high black heels and, actually, I don’t look as bad as I thought I had made myself look. The footage moves to another frame of us kissing around the back of the hotel, his hands everywhere.

Then we are inside the hotel, drunkenly stumbling up the corridors until we reach his room. I see myself, head thrown back in laughter, grabbing at his crotch. The time in the corner of the screen reads 2.30 when we go in, and I come out alone at 5.30. I carry my shoes up the corridor and leave.

The screen flickers off, then on again to the next set of footage. Different hotel, same routine. This time pissed-up dancing, then snogging, then to the room around at 2.40 and I come out alone at 5.36. The frame changes to me getting in the lift, then to the street outside and me flagging a taxi at 5.42.

Linda switches it off with a remote control and DS Percy turns to me.

‘So. Let’s go over things again. Why didn’t you mention that you know Brian Patterson? The man in the other picture?’

I force the words out.

‘I thought it would look bad. I mean, it already looks bad that I go around picking up strange men and sleeping with them. But I didn’t do anything illegal.’

They both nod. DS Percy continues.

‘So you knew neither of these men beforehand? This is very important, Caroline, so think.’

‘No. I didn’t. I just wanted a good time. Being on my own, and all that. Just … lonely.’

‘Right. Did you take anything from either of these men? Or any other men that you … slept with?’

Fucking hell. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Think, Caroline.

‘No. I didn’t. I had sex with them. They didn’t pay me. I’m not a—’

DS Percy holds up her hand.

‘No. Of course not. For the purposes of the recorder I am not suggesting that Mrs Atkinson is a prostitute. It’s just that Mr Patterson’s bank card was stolen the same day and used for fraudulent transactions. You must understand that I have to ask you if you took it.’

‘No I didn’t.’ It slips out automatically and I know as I say it I should have said that I did. But how would that look? Like I’m some kind of criminal, that’s what. Not like I’m teaching them a lesson. Anyway, he’d be insured, wouldn’t he? ‘Look, it’s bad enough having to air my private business like who I sleep with in public without—’