Graeme sighs. He knows Catherine is right. Obviously, when it’s discovered that Catherine has escaped, Graeme will be the first one they’ll call. But they thought of this too. Graeme has given a false address in Surrey, and has already ditched the SIM card of the mobile that is on Catherine’s records as her next-of-kin contact number. The van will be well hidden.

‘This time tomorrow…’ Catherine says gleefully.

Graeme looks across at his beloved and feels a brief metallic twinge in his teeth, another little thrill of joy, to see her smiling so widely as she gazes out of the window at trees and fences speeding past.

‘I know!’ Graeme says. ‘We’ll wake up together. Our new lives start here. I can’t wait for you to see the flat. I tidied up special.’

Catherine gives a dismissive wave. ‘Yeah, yeah, that’ll be great. But I’m not thinking about that.’

Crestfallen, Graeme indicates left onto a dual carriageway. ‘Oh. What was you thinking then?’

Catherine turns in the passenger seat to face him, clasping her knee with excitement, rocking slightly, Graeme notices, in time with the fuzzy-felt cartoon air-freshener dangling from the rearview mirror.

‘This time tomorrow, I’ll finally be quits with Pop Bitch. She’ll have suffered as bad as I did, all these years. A life ruined for a life ruined. Only fair, isn’t it? And all this will have been worth it!’

Graeme wonders why his heart sinks. After all, he knows that this is at the heart of it all; has always been. But why can’t Catherine just be happy that they are finally together?

47

Emad

Later that day, Emad messaged Gemma to say he wanted to run something by her, so they agreed to meet for a quick drink at 7.30 p.m., in the pub round the corner from the station. The Prince of Wales was not usually frequented by cops because it was generally deemed too upmarket, with its ostentatious flower arrangements, coir matting floors and uniformed bar staff, but, as Gemma said, eyeing the tweedy clientele, ‘We can go posh just for one. At least we can hear ourselves think in here. Meredith’s been spending the day with Pete’s neighbours at the marina. I’m picking her up about nine and we’ll go back to her place together.’

Emad wished it wasn’t just the one. He wished they were going out for a romantic dinner, followed by a cosy nightcap, followed by going back to Gemma’s flat and a night of passion. It was the second time they’d had a drink after work, just the two of them, and each time they met they got a little more relaxed and jokey with each other. He tried not to wonder if her heart skipped a beat whenever she saw him. He suspected not. And she looked particularly stressed today.