Yeah, we didn’t go out for long. She did her teaching placement at the school I work in when she was training. To be honest I think she was using me so I could put in a good word for her with the teacher who was assessing her. He shrugged. Not everyone is charmed by my rugged good looks.

I laughed. Well, that’s her loss.

My mind was whirring. If Jess was the sort of person who dated men she thought could be useful to her, maybe Singh needed to delve deeper into her relationship with Steve. I made a mental note to pass this information on to him, although I knew DI Forest wouldn’t be interested in any gossip or hearsay.

Here was an opportunity – Max had told me about one of his exes; it would be easy for me to segue into telling him about Mike. Before I could sign anything, though, I thought better of it. I’d just told him I didn’t know anyone connected to the case, and if he knew my shitty ex was a potential murder suspect Max wouldn’t stop until I’d backed off from this case. I couldn’t do it.

After we’d finished eating, we walked down towards the cathedral, which was floodlit at an angle that made it seem even more imposing than it did in daylight. There were still traces of snow on the roof, and the frost on one of the rose windows glistened in the artificial light. For a while we walked without chatting, hand in hand, enjoying the crisp cold of the evening, and it gave me hope that I really was ready for a serious relationship again. Looking sideways at Max, I told myself that I had to learn to relax around him. He was really thoughtful, he treated me well and made me laugh, plus I found him really attractive. I had to stop letting my past dictate how I behaved in the present.

I pulled out my phone and texted Anna.

Not coming home tonight.

We held hands as we walked back to the car, but then I stopped dead. The car park was almost empty, but at the opposite end sat the same sports car I’d seen earlier on my street. I hadn’t checked the number plate, but it was the same make and model, so surely that was too much of a coincidence?

Is everything okay? Max asked, squeezing my shoulder.

I took a deep breath. Fine, I replied. Dozens of people must have those cars, I told myself, but the whole way home I kept checking behind us in case I saw it again.

Eleven hours before the murder