‘Yes. Impossibly sad. But, y’know, she was incredible all through it. Handled it like a fucking goddess.’

As more people left the table—heading home or to dinner or to another drinking establishment—Anita stayed talking to Rohan. It struck her that he was a guy who actually listened to the person he was with and—a miracle—asked follow-up questions. Anita knew how rare that was. So often, when she was supposedly having a conversation with a man, she would find herself interviewing the guy, asking questions, then follow-up questions, as the gentleman yabbered happily on. Sure, as a journalist, it was easy for her to fall into interviewer mode, but it wasn’t only her. She’d heard many other women complain about the same experience. When stuck at dreary functions, Anita had a game she played in her own head. How many questions can I ask this guy in a row before he asks me one single question? The record stood at forty-eight.

On this evening, she found herself in the unfamiliar and embarrassing position of being the one doing all the yabbering without asking questions of the other person. She quickly changed gear to balance things up.

‘So tell me,’ she asked Rohan, ‘why did you decide to become a cop?’

‘Oh … Do you want a short answer or the quaint childhood idealism version?’

‘As quaint and idealistic and childhood-y as possible, please.’

‘Okay, well, when I was a kid, my parents had a restaurant—they still do. Indian restaurant.’

‘Delicious food?’

‘Yes, very delicious. We lived in the flat above, and when Mum and Dad were working downstairs, my sisters and I would be minded by our grandparents. My grandparents were addicted to old British TV detective shows, so I was too.’

‘Your dream was to be a gruff, tweedy detective inspector?’

‘Pretty much, yeah. What got me hooked—I liked the way an episode would start with all this confusion and mess after a murder, people upset, and then the detective would march in, put the pieces together, and create—you know …’

‘Harmony.’

‘Exactly,’ he said. ‘I decided I wanted to do that: calmly show up after a bad thing has happened, find the solution and make everything better for people.’

‘So it was a noble career choice.’

‘The trouble was, my parents—’ Rohan stopped mid-sentence and groaned.

‘Oh wait,’ Anita gasped with mock horror, ‘don’t tell me you got good marks in high school? Oh no, hang on, you didn’t have good enough results to get into a law degree, did you?’

Rohan went with the joke, nodding with exaggerated sombreness.

‘I’m so sorry,’ said Anita.

‘Thank you. Clearly you can understand how devastated my parents were when I studied criminology and joined the police force.’

‘But they’re proud of you now?’

Rohan laughed. ‘Oh no, still wretchedly and loudly disappointed.’

Anita winced with serious sympathy this time.