Jane was making tea in the kitchen and Middleton was at the top of the stairs, outside the bathroom, beyond which Nick could hear the shower and Josie and Anna talking. Anna had been eager to get Josie washed, and not just because she’d gone overnight without bathing. She wanted all trace of the kidnappers removed, like their smell, their skin cells, their sweat. Their whole aura.

Middleton put out his hand. Nick took it and they shook. But then the younger man moved past and grabbed Josie’s tracksuit from the floor. He entered another bathroom just down the hall, grabbed a tealight candle and a box of matches from the windowsill, and tossed the tracksuit into the bath.

It was aflame when Middleton appeared in the doorway. He said nothing and both men watched the outfit burn, sending black smoke up to stain the ceiling. Nick finally turned the shower on it.

‘Sorry if I ruined the bath. And for leaving your Jaguar in London.’

Middleton put his hand on Nick’s shoulder. ‘I’ll get Anna the best solicitor in this country, Nick. So long ago… she shouldn’t have to go to prison. If that evidence shows that bastard Marc Eastman was at fault for Anna not watching the road, then – Nick, where are you going?’

But Nick ignored him and a second later his feet were thumping down the stairs.

‘I want to see the video Anna gave you.’

Bennet’s heart was still beating from the shock of Nick jumping into the car. Focussed on his phone, he hadn’t spotted the approach. ‘The disk? It’s evidence, Nick. Sealed. And it’s not a good idea to watch it.’

‘This is the DCI’s car, and I watched her put it in the boot. So open the bag. I want to see what this Eastman guy is trying to hide.’

‘Look, Nick, you should know that none of the people we’ve arrested have mentioned Eastman. They’re saying they don’t know anything about his involvement. It’s his wife’s family and she might have set this up behind his back to protect him. He might know nothing of the kidnap.’

‘No way, Bennet. He touched my wife in that car that night. It was partly his fault the hit-and-run happened. He went running to his wife afterwards and they’re neck deep in this together. He’s terrified of that dashcam because the audio will burn him. And that means it can help my wife. I want to see it. It’s a disk and there’s a laptop in this car. Nobody will know.’

Bennet, Mr Red Tape, didn’t look sold and Nick felt anger rising. But he chose another tact. He leaned forward, and he touched the detective’s arm, and he begged.