Proust smiled. Sam looked stricken. Simon could read his mind: he was wondering if it was okay to laugh at Sondra Halliday or if that would make him guilty, as all men must be of all crimes. Of everyone in the room, only Sam was fretting, thanks to Halliday, about what kind of reprehensible misogynist he was and what he ought to do about it.

That was why Simon had sent Charlie to tackle Halliday, because of doormats like Sam who were too easily persuaded. Tell men every day, endlessly, that they hate women whether they realise it or not, and some will believe you. Some will start to hate, at the very least, the women accusing them unfairly; others might lump all females together and decide to act on their newly discovered contempt for half the population. Every time Halliday put fingers to keyboard, she rammed home the message that there was violent hatred in the air all around us, and that was dangerous. Simon didn’t think it was possible to release that much boiling resentment without putting lives at risk.

Not that Charlie would succeed in talking her round. Zealots like Halliday listened only to acolytes who echoed their own fantasies and prejudices.

James Wing stood up. He said, ‘On Halliday’s blog, though she doesn’t go into detail, she refers to two sexual assaults in her past. What if one of the men involved was Joshua Norbury?’

‘He’s gay. Was, I mean.’ Neil Dunning looked surprised to be having to make the point again.

‘Gay men don’t rape women,’ said Kerensa Moore.

‘All right, forget that theory.’ Wing was starting to sound desperate. ‘Halliday could have hated him for any number of reasons. She wants revenge, so she kills him – after killing three women first, as a decoy. Then she pops up as a commentator on the Billy murders, saying, “Notice the dead women, not the dead man!” Come on, we’re all familiar with criminals who can’t keep away from the scene of the crime – Halliday’s failing to keep away by setting herself up as primary media voice on the issue. Think what a buzz that’d give her.’

‘I agree we need to rule her out, but I don’t believe she’s Billy,’ said Simon. ‘Her schtick’s convincing. She means every word of it, from the heart. Wing, what did you mean about the blonde woman lead going up in smoke? I know we were going to go over the four in date order, but maybe we can do Rhian Douglas first if there’s been a development?’

‘Yes, let’s hear it,’ Proust decreed.

‘I’d like to suggest something,’ said Kerensa Moore. ‘Apart from this new breakthrough, whatever it is—’

‘It’s the opposite of a breakthrough.’ Wing rolled his eyes. He hadn’t done it at all while accusing Sondra Halliday of murder, Simon realised. Did that mean something?