Zara pulled out a chair and Dave took the wine, before pouring it into three glasses. ‘I don’t get that either. Another beer, Jack?’

‘Please. One of the things that Crumbs said when we were in the safe house was that he felt the animals were better off dead rather than where they were.’

‘Yeah, I know I’ve heard that argument before, but I can’t understand why they did it in such a cruel way,’ Zara said. ‘I understand the need to raise awareness and all that, but not using such underhanded methods. As hard as I’ve tried to find a good reason for it, I can’t.’

‘You can’t because there isn’t one,’ Dave said.

‘I think you’re right,’ Zara said. ‘It’s really important to listen to both sides of the argument. That’s what I’ve always tried to do in my reporting. I know there are activists who would happily talk to farmers and ask questions so they can understand what the farmers are trying to do. It’s the extremists that cause the problems, as we saw this time. And I don’t believe anyone is able to reason with them.

‘Farmers also need to be open about how they produce. And most of the activists, that’s all they’re asking for. We know that most farmers treat their animals well, but the fact of the matter is that most animals are bred for eating, which straightaway causes a problem for some activists. Somehow both sides need to be more tolerant of each other.’

Kim was carving the roast. ‘Absolutely right, Zara. Just because one person doesn’t like someone else’s point of view, doesn’t mean they should force their own thoughts on that person. Everyone just needs to accept people are going to have differing opinions, without getting all uptight about it.’ She put the knife down with a thud as if to emphasise her point.

Putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders, Dave grinned. ‘Sweetie, you’d have the whole world singing “Kumbaya” if you could.’

‘And the world would be a much better place if I did.’

Dave laughed. ‘Okay, okay! I shouldn’t have even tried to start that argument! Now, I had word that John Spinner and Paul Crabb are going to trial in three months. They were denied bail at their hearing today.’

‘I hope they throw away the key,’ Zara muttered.