‘Sarah,’ Richie smiled. ‘Chill. Nobody’s saying anything. I’m just trying to get a handle on the DI. He plays golf with Irving too. They’re pally, from what I’ve heard.’

Sarah’s frown deepened. ‘What are you getting at?’

Richie returned his attention to his sandwich. ‘Nothing. He’s probably part of some old boys’ club.’

Sarah watched as Richie chewed, a faraway look on his face.

‘You’re one of those conspiracy theorists, aren’t you?’ she said, thinking of his interest in the Facebook group. ‘I bet you believe in UFOs.’

Richie laughed. ‘There’s nothing wrong with getting to the truth.’ He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘I just can’t figure out why our DI has taken such a liking to you.’

‘Geez, kick a girl while she’s down, why don’t you?’

‘I don’t mean it like that.’ He scrunched up his sandwich wrapper and threw it in the bin.

‘Not everyone has an angle.’ Sarah returned her glance to the document Richie was putting together post-interview, keen to change the subject. ‘You think CPS will give you a charge?’

‘We’ve got a strong case against Abraham, especially after finding the knife in his room. But find his car, and I think we’ll find Jahmelia – that’s if he hasn’t buried her somewhere already.’

‘She’s still alive,’ Sarah said. ‘At least, for now.’ She shook her head. She couldn’t imagine what Gabby was going through. All day, she’d been texting, and Sarah passed on updates when she could.

‘You sound confident.’ Richie rubbed his beard. A look passed between them. ‘You know something, don’t you?’

Sarah’s gaze flickered around the office. ‘Maybe,’ she said. ‘But I can’t tell you. Not yet. I’ve got a line of communication open and I don’t want to blow it.’

‘With who?’

‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. There’s more to this than meets the eye.’

Richie regarded her with interest. ‘Tell me.’

A beat passed between them. Could Sarah trust him? Maybe two heads were better than one. ‘All that stuff … the balaclava that didn’t burn, the knife. The CCTV of Christian’s car. It’s too convenient. Sure, Christian’s a bit of an oddball, but doesn’t that make him the perfect candidate to set up?’

‘I don’t know …’ Richie paused for thought. ‘Seems prima facie to me.’

‘And that doesn’t bother you?’ Sarah said. Not all cases were open and shut.

‘For every argument, there’s a counter-argument,’ Richie replied. ‘Irving was a complete bastard to Christian’s mother and barely acknowledged him as a son … Killing Angelica could have been Christian’s way of getting revenge. You should see the computer games he plays. The guy isn’t right in the head.’