Right now Polman’s sitting with a sketch artist trying to conjure up a face he’d seen years ago right after a traumatic event. I’m not exactly pinning my hopes on it. Maybe there’s another way.

‘Get down to the AMC and see if by some miracle they keep security footage from that long ago.’

Jansen nods and heads out.

We’re getting close, I can feel it. It’s like being on the edge of a black hole, the pull becoming stronger and stronger. Only we don’t know what we’ll find right at the centre.

‘We also need to go back to the other volunteers. They have to talk to us now we can prove the second agreement’s not legally binding. If we can build more detail from them, we might just get lucky.’

More ideas are tossed around, some swatted down like flies, some more persistent that can’t be got at. Meeting adjourned.

‘Keep me updated,’ Beving says.

He stands to go but looks like he’s about to say something to me. I know what it’s going to be. Yesterday he’d been about to take me off the case and by rights he should be doing that now. But at the last moment he decides against it. Instead he tells me about the search for the arsonist.

‘The teams are still out there, but we’re getting to the stage of diminishing returns. Realistically I can probably only keep them on it for a few more hours.’

What happened to all that we’ll-find-him-and-we’ll-break-him stuff which had me choking up yesterday? But I just nod, like it’s fine. He leaves and Vermeer and I ready ourselves. A quick refuel and a toilet break.

On the way out the desk sergeant I managed not to punch yesterday calls out to me.

‘Phone call for you.’

I take the receiver. It’s Stephanie Dekker. She sounds nervous.

‘I think I may have something?’

‘What is it?’

‘It’s to do with what we talked about the other day.’

‘I’m listening.’

‘I … can we meet? I’d rather not say on the phone.’

Once I’ve got her location I hang up and explain to Vermeer. We agree to split up.

‘Rykel,’ she calls out as we head in different directions, ‘you okay to drive?’