‘No word of a lie, I reckon you’re a nice lady…’ She watched him rock his head from side to side, weighing his next words carefully. ‘Maybe you’re a bit all over the place sometimes, but everyone in the MIT likes you, and we know it’s been a difficult week. Fact is, you’re the best boss I’ve ever had.’

She cuffed him softly on the arm. ‘You’re winding me up.’

‘I’m not,’ he said, pulling into the street. ‘I’ve learned a lot from you already.’

‘Like what?’ she said, fishing.

His eyes moved back and forth as he tried to think of something. ‘The way you’re so calm under fire.’

‘Ha, I don’t think that’s quite true, but I’ll gladly accept the compliment. Over there.’ She pointed at a space at the kerb as they drove slowly along the narrow winding road, and he pulled up outside Karin’s house and cranked the handbrake. ‘Just do me a favour and spread some of this charming Craig-love to some of your other colleagues.’

And then they heard a scream from inside the house, and a man’s bellowing. They whipped off their seat belts and jumped out of the car.

Craig flew to the front door, shoulder first, hoping the momentum of his run would send it flying open, but he rebounded off it, wincing. Sasha was already on her phone calling for backup. He kicked the door again, with no success.

‘The glass, Craig!’

Sasha nodded at a pane in the bay window as she barked into the phone. He picked up a big stone from beside the path, pulled the sleeve of his jacket over his fist and smashed it into the glass, rearing back as jagged shards flew everywhere. He knocked out a bigger hole in the pane with an elbow until he was able to reach inside and unlock the window. As soon as he scrambled over the sill, he heard scuffles upstairs, and shouts.

‘Police!’ he called as he pounded upstairs. ‘We’re coming!’

And when he swung into the bedroom, he saw Jim Haskell with his hands gripping Karin’s shoulders, slamming her again and again against the wall.

‘Where are they?’ he roared. ‘What did you do with those kids?’

Craig grabbed him, pulling him away, but Jim shouted as he tried to fight him off. ‘Get off me! Get away! What happened! Tell me!’

Sasha came into the room to crouch with Karin, who had slid down the wall. Jim lashed out at Craig, but his clumsy swing sent him spinning and he was slammed face down on the floor.

‘Stay still now,’ Craig told him as he pressed him to the floor and then looked up at Sasha. ‘Everything good there?’

She checked Karin over, nodded. ‘We’re good.’