‘Craig,’ she said brightly. ‘Good morning.’

‘You alright?’ he asked.

‘Bit of a stiff shoulder from sleeping awkwardly last night.’ She rubbed her collarbone and slowly straightened in her seat, as if the massage was miraculously curing it. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘A young woman has been reported missing in Brentwood,’ he said. ‘Name of Sarah Tovey. Went out clubbing last night with her cousin and a couple of friends. She left them at eleven to look for a cab, but never arrived home. She’s a carer for her disabled mum, so it’s totally out of character.’

‘Is it on the system?’ she asked. ‘I’ll take a look at it this morning.’

‘They’re handling it at Chelmsford nick,’ he said, ‘but they want us to be made aware. A couple of other women have gone missing in similar circumstances in the county over the last couple of years. If she doesn’t turn up today, they’ve asked if we’ll interview the cousin.’

‘Thank you, Power Man,’ she told him. ‘Keep me up to speed.’

‘Sasha, got a moment?’

The sound of Vaughn’s voice made her reluctantly peep over the top of her monitor. He was standing in his office doorway, so she did a surprised face for his benefit, as if she didn’t know he’d come in.

‘Excuse me,’ she told Craig, and followed Vaughn into his office.

He sat behind his desk, prodding at his computer keyboard with one hand, clinging to the cup of coffee with the other as if it were a life raft on a stormy sea. Up close, he looked very hungover and dishevelled.

He said, ‘I owe you an explanation.’

‘No, you don’t.’ She held up her hands in protest. ‘It’s none of my business.’

‘I’ve…’ His fingers drummed on his desk. ‘Behaved very badly.’

She didn’t know where this conversation was going and didn’t want to know. ‘Vaughn, really—’

‘It’s delicate.’ He went to the door she had left ajar and closed it. ‘This is not something I want you to hear from… your sister. And I don’t want her to be embarrassed.’

Oh, she won’t be, Sasha thought. Through the glass, she saw more of her team sharing a laugh as they arrived in the office and wished she could be out there with them, joining in the joke.

‘It was a crazy night. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a hangover. We had another couple of bottles at the bar, me and Connie.’ He grimaced. ‘And then we went back to her place for more and, well…’

Sasha shuddered. ‘Vaughn, please—’

He sipped his coffee. ‘Well, let’s just say one thing led to another.’

She held up a hand: Stop there. ‘It’s really none of my business.’

This whole conversation was a nightmare. Just the idea of Vaughn spending the night at Connie’s little flat in Eastwood – it was so untidy it looked like a bomb had hit it – made Sasha squirm.

‘But…’ He flicked a thumb thoughtfully against the plastic lid of the coffee. ‘She made me laugh, she made me feel good, and I haven’t felt like that for a long time. I’d like to see her again, Sasha, but only if you’re comfortable with that.’