Mark nodded, knowing there was probably some truth to that. He thought about probing further, but it was only a semi-formed thought at that moment and he needed more time to go over it.

A drugs angle. He’d have to ask Pathology if they’d had a report of anything in Joanna Carter’s body at her time of death. Could be something to it. He stored it at the back of his mind for now and continued talking to Stephanie, changing the subject.

‘Have you thought about going back to classes on Monday?’

‘Not really,’ Stephanie replied, cradling the mug in front of her. ‘I don’t think it’s a very good idea. I’d only be thinking about Emily and what’s going on back here. It’s not like I’d be able to concentrate on anything they were saying.’

‘The distraction might be a good thing, you know? A way of forgetting what’s been happening, even if it’s just for a few hours.’

‘Why would I want to forget?’

Mark cleared his throat, annoyed with himself for the poor choice of words. ‘Sorry, that came out wrong. I mean… a way of putting it to the back of your mind for a little while. It’s not healthy to live with this much anxiety. You need a break from it.’

‘I’m fine.’

The words sounded final, yet Mark could see she was thinking it over. This was something he tried to do often while investigating cases: encourage them to do tasks, any little thing to take their minds off what was happening. He’d witnessed too many families driving themselves into unending angst when they thought of nothing else but the situation they were in.

He also needed them to see a way out.

‘I’m doing everything I can to find out what happened to Emily. I need you to level with me though – if there’s something, anything, you can think of that might be important or not, I need to know it.’

Stephanie was silent for a few seconds, looking away from Mark, before she turned back to him. She shook her head. ‘There’s nothing else.’

Mark didn’t believe her. Instinct again, he thought.

‘It’s not going to have a happy ending, is it?’