Sasha liked those shoes – they were very stylish, and she had purchased them from an expensive boutique in Soho – but they were very uncomfortable, she found them nearly impossible to walk in, and had only worn them once. ‘I think three pairs of shoes for one night is more than enough.’

The overnight bag she was taking was already full. She and Angel had discussed at great length which of three dresses she should take, but neither could decide, so she packed all of them. They’d even talked about what lingerie Sasha should wear, a conversation that was something of a first for both of them. Angel kept rooting through Sasha’s drawers and held a swimsuit in front of herself. ‘Why don’t you take this?’

‘We’re only going for a night, Angel, I don’t think I’ll have the time.’

‘You don’t have to rush home. You might have to check out at noon, that’s what happens, right, but that doesn’t mean you and Dad can’t chill at the hotel for the rest of the day, use all the facilities. You can go for a swim and to the spa, have lunch and then go for a long walk. Don’t feel you have to come back Saturday morning.’

That was a nice idea, but Sasha’s head was full of the investigation, the death of Andrew Dean and now Tony Gardner, and she wanted to get back home in case there were any developments. Right then, as if on cue, her phone rang. While Angel rummaged around, seemingly determined to force her mother to take enough clothes for a two-week holiday, Sasha picked up her phone from the bedside table.

‘I’m on the way in,’ she told Ajay quickly, conscious that she was late leaving the house.

‘The deceased is Tony Gardner, as we expected.’

‘Yes,’ Sasha said. ‘Vaughn told me last night.’

‘What you won’t know is that we fast-tracked the forensic investigation, as you asked,’ Ajay told her, ‘and got a partial match on DNA the CSIs recovered.’

‘Partial? What do you mean?’

‘It’ll be easier to explain when you get here.’

‘Okay, I’ll be there soon… Ajay, hold on a moment.’ She pressed the phone to her shoulder and asked her daughter, ‘Do me a favour, sweetheart, and fetch my make-up bag from the bathroom.’ When Angel was gone, Sasha said quietly to Ajay, ‘I’m supposed to be going to that posh hotel tonight. Am I going to have to cancel?’

‘I don’t see why. Chances are, we could get this whole thing wrapped up by this afternoon.’