His deputy’s voice broke and the inspector felt his chest constrict.

He took a deep breath.

‘Okay. Let me think.’

‘Something has happened to her,’ Ray groaned. ‘I know it. She was excited about dinner yesterday. She wouldn’t have just gone off like that without saying something. This is Laura. You know what she’s like.’

‘This is all my fault,’ Michael whispered. ‘If I hadn’t left yesterday …’

The inspector shook his head.

‘Michael, stop. Let’s establish where she is before we start panicking. And remember, Laura is a grown woman and a great detective. She’s not exactly known for making rash decisions.’

Neither Michael nor Ray replied – Michael, because he was consumed with guilt and Ray because he was thinking Laura might not have been herself yesterday. She might have been distracted, just like he had, thinking about their date. What if that distraction had led her to make a snap decision that had put her in danger?

‘Okay,’ Tom said, his mind made up. ‘We’re going to work with what we know. We’re assuming that Laura discovered something to do with the case and went to check it out. Let’s trace her movements, starting with the last thing she was doing in the office yesterday. You two get on that. I’m going up to speak to the chief.’

Tom paused on a small landing in the stairwell.

He took out his phone and dialled Sean’s number. He felt bad – he knew Sean was under pressure, but he also knew that in these circumstances, his former boss would want to know what was happening. He liked Laura and rated her highly.

And Tom needed some moral support.

The phone rang umpteen times but wasn’t answered.

‘Come on,’ the inspector urged, but it kept ringing.

‘Damn it.’ He shoved his mobile back in his pocket and banged the wall in frustration. He’d try again later.

Kennedy beckoned Tom into his office with a wave of the hand and signalled for him to sit as he concluded his phone conversation.

‘Yes. I’ll see to that personally. Of course, Bronwyn. Thank you.’

The chief placed the phone on its cradle.

‘Bronwyn Maher,’ he informed Tom, referring to the assistant commissioner. ‘She wants me to remind you that there’s a protocol for interviewing another member of the force, and it involves a member of the police union being present.’

‘For a formal interview,’ Tom replied. ‘We didn’t conduct a formal interview with Bart Healy. It was all very relaxed so we didn’t have to initiate proceedings that would be recorded. I would have thought that was preferable.’

He could see that his explanation left Kennedy stumped. And how had Maher discovered that Healy had been in for questioning? The chief would have had to ring and tell her – no doubt to drop Tom in it.