‘I wasn’t sure you would bring Harry to my place,’ she said, with the hint of an apology. ‘You’d made it plain that you didn’t want him there. I was worried that . . .’

Any anger he’d nursed about being tricked had dissipated. ‘I’ve let you down before. So I can see why you might think that.’ McNab reached out and covered her hand with his own, and was pleased when she allowed it to stay there.

‘So?’ he said. ‘We’re okay?’

She gave an almost imperceptible nod, which allowed McNab to finally relax.

‘And they can’t get at Harry when you have him in custody?’

‘He’s safer with us than anywhere else,’ McNab said, hoping that was true, yet suspicious that the Sandman’s influence was a spider’s web, seemingly invisible but remarkably far-reaching.

When Ellie appeared to accept his assurances and now took time to drink her own coffee, McNab decided it was time to carry out the boss’s orders.

‘DI Wilson was very pleased that you managed to persuade Harry to come in and give a statement. He sends his thanks. He also gave me advice on appreciating my partner better, which I will try to follow.’

That gained him an actual smile.

‘He asked me to chat to you about the time Harry spent at your place and what you talked about.’

When Ellie looked a little perturbed by this, McNab added, ‘Just in case Harry said anything else which might turn out to be important.’

‘Like what?’ Ellie demanded.

‘His time in Afghanistan,’ McNab prompted. ‘There was a guy there who saved his life. He called him Sugarboy.’

He watched as she considered this. ‘He told me he wanted to be back there with his mates.’

McNab nodded. ‘He told me that too.’

Her face darkened. ‘He has nightmares. I heard him in the night. It sounded . . .’ She stumbled as though what was in her head couldn’t be repeated. ‘He was trying to get out of somewhere. I think it was a tank on fire.’

McNab didn’t respond, because what could he say, except that he was sorry she’d had to hear that.

‘I would take drugs if I was haunted by something like that,’ Ellie challenged him.

‘I probably would too,’ McNab agreed.

It didn’t seem the right moment to ask another question, so McNab didn’t, not immediately. Eventually when Ellie went back to her coffee, and her shoulders relaxed again, he carried on.

‘The guy we’re really searching for is known, we think, as the Sandman. Did Harry mention that name at all?’

Ellie looked puzzled. ‘Didn’t you ask him that at the interview?’

‘Yes, he acted as though he didn’t recognize the name.’

‘He never mentioned that name to me,’ Ellie said.