‘You and Detective Miles have worked together for some time now,’ DCC Sneddon pressed.

‘Yes.’

‘Have you ever noticed a particularly sexist or negative attitude towards women at all?’

‘For being women? No.’

‘He’s had some relationships within the station. Did you know about them?’

‘I knew about him and Denise. I don’t tell him everyone I sleep with either though, to be fair.’

‘Denise Ferguson? Did she say anything to you about the relationship?’

‘No. I know she wasn’t happy when it ended though.’

‘Does DS Miles have many impromptu relationships?’

‘A few, I think. Or at least he used to. What’s that got to do with anything? Sleeping around doesn’t make him a sexual predator. Women like sex, too. Not all of us are being manipulated into it when we have a one-night stand.’ She hated the constant portrayal of women as easy to ‘trick’ into sex. As though a woman who wants to sleep around is being taken advantage of each time because she has a low self-esteem. So much stigma around women who liked sex.

‘What about you? Have you ever been intimate with DS Miles?’

‘Depends what you mean by intimate.’ She tried to laugh off his question, but he looked at her curiously, as though he knew she were hiding something. She wasn’t about to tell him about her and Adrian’s arrangement. It didn’t mean anything, and it certainly didn’t bear any relevance to this case.

‘Have you ever had sexual intercourse or taken part in any sexual acts with DS Miles?’

‘No, I haven’t.’

Not a lie, not quite the truth either.

‘Would you say your partnership is solid? Do you think he keeps secrets from you?’

‘No, I don’t think he does. I trust him implicitly.’

‘OK, thank you, Miss Grey.’

‘That’s it?’

‘That’s it for now at least. Unless we hear anything that contradicts your statement.’

‘Should I send Denise in?’

‘Thank you, yes.’ DCC Trevor Sneddon attempted a smile to comfort Imogen, but she left the room without returning it.

She walked straight outside, needing some fresh air. Within a few seconds, Adrian was standing beside her.

‘Well?’

‘Well what, Adrian? You know I can’t talk about it.’

‘Fuck that, what did you say?’

‘I said what I would have said if you were standing in the room. Don’t worry, I’m on your side.’

‘Did he ask you about us?’

‘He did.’

‘And what did you tell him?’

She felt her eyebrows involuntarily raise as he said the words. Neither of them had spoken about this, let alone outside work in the daylight.

‘That there was nothing going on between us. There’s nothing to tell,’ Imogen said.

A weight clearly lifted from him when she said that.

‘That’s what I thought. I just wanted to check with you. I didn’t tell him either.’

‘I don’t see how it would make any difference to the investigation. Apart from getting us into a whole heap of shit.’ She changed the subject. ‘Sneddon’s speaking to Denise now. I might go and watch. Why don’t you speak to Gary and see if he can find any CCTV footage around The Imperial to prove where you were. If she is lying, we can prove it, just remember that.’