‘The man lying in the bed upstairs kidnapped and murdered five women. He tried to kill one of my detectives. And somewhere, there is a nineteen-year-old girl waiting to be found. For all we know, she is lying in a dingy cellar, freezing and starving to death. Charlie Lane is the only person on this planet who knows her whereabouts. So, yes, if you don’t allow me to interview him and we don’t find that girl, or we find her too late, I will have you charged.’

The man at the desk was beginning to accept that there were some battles not worth winning.

‘I will speak to his doctors and see if he can be made comfortable enough for questioning.’ The administrator conceded defeat. ‘You won’t have long with him. There is absolutely nothing I can do about that and you can arrest me for it if you want.’

‘Fine,’ Tom said, his voice a little kinder. ‘I’ll be up with the detective who was admitted last night. Find me there. Quickly, please.’

The man nodded and picked up his phone to indicate to the inspector that he was getting right on it.

‘When did you know?’ she asked.

‘About Lane?’

Laura blushed, the colour vivid against her pale skin. She was sitting on the edge of the bed in a hospital gown, her legs dangling over the side. The back of her head was partially covered by a large bandage. She wanted to get out of there, but Ray was trying to talk her into staying. And if he wouldn’t let her leave, then they could finally have the conversation they needed to have. Laura was still woozy from the meds they’d given her and was feeling slightly braver than usual.

‘I don’t mean Lane. What you said to me last night. Where did that come from?’

It was Ray’s turn to flush red.

He smiled shyly.

‘Last year. Around autumn. We’d spent time together during the summer when I was helping your mam look for her sister’s grave, remember? And then you sort of disappeared, because you were off seeing Eoin Coyle. When I asked you out for dinner to the Japanese place that time, I really wanted to tell you then, but you left early.’

‘I remember that night. You started talking about your feelings for another woman!’

‘I know.’ Ray shook his head. ‘I was an idiot. But I did try to tell you that, afterwards. Then you dumped Eoin and I thought I had a chance. But you didn’t seem interested any more.’