‘Oh God,’ said Tillie. ‘She rang yesterday morning. “Can I speak to Ross please?” she said, in a tone that made me physically drag Ross across the newsroom. When I got him to the phone, Mrs W had evidently passed the phone to one of their children. Ross was very brisk, “What did Mummy want you to tell me?” Pause. “Come on now, what did Mummy want you to tell me?” Another pause. “Oh, Christ, happy birthday!” Honestly, he is the worst.’

‘Mrs Warman once brought in the kids to say goodnight to Ross,’ said Casey. ‘She lined them up beside the newsdesk. He’s a disgrace.’

‘I heard a rumour,’ Tillie dropped her voice, ‘that when Mrs Warman decided she wanted kids, and Ross was never home, she just drove to the office one day and ordered him down to the car park.’

‘I don’t think that’ – Casey pulled a face – ‘is a rumour.’

They were laughing together as Hessa walked in, the brittle insecurity showing on her face when she saw Casey talking to Tillie.

‘Can you go to the Greystones’ house in north London as soon as someone is in to cover the desk?’ Casey said to Tillie.

‘Of course!’

‘It’s OK, you know,’ said Casey, as she and Hessa walked to the investigations room.

‘What do you mean?’

‘When Miranda arrived at the Post, I thought it might block me from doing investigations,’ said Casey. ‘It didn’t, of course. Just made me better. You and Tillie might be a brilliant team one day.’

Hessa unlocked the room in silence. ‘I suppose so. It’s just . . .’

‘You’ve worked so hard to get here. I know. It’s OK,’ said Casey. ‘We know you’re good.’

‘OK.’ Hessa’s face broke into a smile. ‘I will try.’

‘Good.’ Casey bent her head over her computer, pushed Ed out of her mind. ‘Now get to work.’

Casey went to get more coffees from the machine. She was keeping an eye out for Miranda, and as she came through the entrance, crossed over to see her.

‘Are you OK?’

‘I’ll be fine.’ Miranda jerked her chin up, and Casey recognised the gesture. Just let me get on with it.

‘We need to get Zeus’s name out of Alicia Dalgleish,’ Casey was saying as she passed a coffee to Hessa back in their office. ‘It’s the only way.’

‘OK,’ said Miranda. ‘What else would we like to know?’

‘Where Zeus is,’ Hessa reeled off. ‘How they know each other. What Zeus gets out of it. What Alicia gets out of it. Apart from all-expenses trips to DC, of course.’

Miranda sat down at her desk, and Casey saw her breathe in and out, and then focus.

‘Dalgleish may not know,’ Miranda said, ‘the crisis she is walking into. She might just tell us everything to try and get her point of view across.’