‘Who am I to stand in the way of justice? At least let me make you some tea and a sandwich before you go. It’s Sunday. The canteen at work won’t be open and all the sandwich shops will be closed. If I don’t make you something decent you’ll end up eating a processed sandwich from the Co-op.’ Grace was already walking towards the kitchen and Rachel had to bite back a stab of selfish impatience. She was keen to get going right away, but it would be churlish to refuse Grace’s offer. Especially when Grace herself was being anything but churlish.

‘I’ll make a sandwich for Ade too,’ Grace said. ‘She’s pescatarian, right? I’ll do a tuna sandwich for her, and chicken for you.’

Grace looked over her shoulder, smiling. In that moment, Rachel wanted nothing more than to grab hold of this amazing woman and never let her go. She followed Grace into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around her.

‘You’re incredible,’ she said, ‘I hope you know that.’

‘I do.’ Grace kissed her. For a moment, the two women melted into each other until Rachel reluctantly pulled back.

‘I really wish I could stay here with you.’

‘No you don’t.’ Grace smacked Rachel’s arm, smiling. ‘You can’t wait to get into work and find out where that suspect of yours has been hiding all week. In fact, right now you’re wishing I hadn’t suggested making sandwiches so you could already be on the road.’

‘That’s not true.’

‘Oh, I think it is. I know you better than you realise, Lewis. You’d do well not to forget that.’

Forty minutes later, Rachel and Ade were sitting across from Ivan Babić and the duty solicitor in one of the special interview rooms in the Custody Suite at Brighton. He was looking decidedly less chirpy than the last time she’d spoken to him. Last Sunday, despite expressing his shock at Nick’s murder, Ivan hadn’t seemed too affected by the incident. Today, his demeanour was subdued and anxious.

‘Where the hell have you been, Ivan?’ Rachel asked, once she’d set the tape up and recorded the time, date and the names of the people in the room.

‘I was staying with friends in Chichester,’ he said. ‘I woke up Monday morning and knew I couldn’t face work. So I called in sick, packed my bags and off I went.’

‘We’ve been trying to contact you all week,’ Rachel said. ‘Why didn’t you return any of our calls?’

‘I forgot to take my phone.’

‘You really expect us to believe that?’

‘What can I say?’ Ivan shrugged. ‘It’s the truth.’