‘Yes. The night Ozzy had his accident. The Ticketts had been overheard saying they were going to kill him, so Ozzy brought forward all the plans that we had for running away together.’

‘How did you hear?’

‘Vicky overheard them at the pub. They were whispering, which isn’t like them at all. So while clearing up the baby’s toys she left a baby monitor on a chair under their table and listened to it in the back.’

‘Clever.’

‘She couldn’t get hold of me, so rang Ozzy directly. What neither of them knew was that Rory and Aidan came round to my house and forced me to stay there with them, waiting for him. I couldn’t leave or answer the phone to him, but they heard all the messages. Christopher Tickett was waiting in the lane in the car, and Ozzy only guessed at the last minute. They chased Ozzy’s car all the way to the dual carriageway. Well, I think you know about the accident. Aidan kept my mobile and smashed up my answerphone before he left late in the evening. Ozzy had made his way along the river’s edge to the churchyard, and then came round the back through the allotments. He heard the Ticketts depart, then climbed over the fence and knocked on the kitchen door. We got Vicky to give us a lift up to Haslemere, and that’s when I took the camper van.’

‘So you’ve been on the run for six months or so,’ Gillard said.

Crystal nodded. ‘It was only fun for the first week. Ozzy had managed to get quite a bit of cash from his own accounts, but I hadn’t dared to transfer any in from the overseas account, because it would implicate us if you were looking at our bank activity.’

Shireen glanced at Gillard. He could tell she was impressed with their financial precautions.

‘What did your sister and daughter know about this?’ Gillard asked.

‘They both knew about me and Ozzy. Rowena had even said “go for it” when I first said I’d fallen for him. But neither of them knew anything about the money.’

‘Really?’ Gillard said. ‘But your sister worked for the Ticketts.’

‘Only occasionally, back then. They’re very close, that family. They wouldn’t have said anything.’

‘Let’s move on to Chieveley Services. You told me that you had agreed to meet your sister, and that she was bringing in more cash for you, and some documents that you needed.’

‘Yes, so we could access the overseas account to repay her. We thought Vicky might be followed, so we came into Chieveley on country roads and back lanes.’

‘In the white Honda you bought with the cash raised from selling the camper van?’ Shireen said, checking against details printed in front of her.

‘Yes.’

‘Did you hear gunfire at any point while at Chieveley?’ Gillard asked.