‘The person didn’t identify themselves?’ Matt Walsh asked.

‘No, they just told me what I’ve told you,’ Caitlin replied.

‘You’re going to have to make an official statement to the officer who is investigating DS Miles,’ Imogen said, a little calmer now that she had said her piece.

‘Of course, he was nice to me; he didn’t deserve any of this. Usually if I make a pass at someone, they don’t even think twice before accepting. It’s kind of my superpower.’ The words sounded like a guilty confession rather than a brag.

‘Is that what happened with Doctor Norris? Were you the student he had an affair with?’

Tears started to form in Caitlin’s eyes once more; she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and exhaled deeply.

Before she could answer Imogen, the door opened and two men stepped inside – an older man in clerical dress and a younger man in a suit. He looked like a lawyer. Caitlin seemed to be relieved that they had turned up, stopping her from carrying on talking. She composed herself before speaking again.

‘Am I in trouble?’ Caitlin asked.

‘Your grandfather has asked me to represent you, Miss Watts, and I’ll have to advise you not to say anything else at this point. Not without going over it with me first.’

Imogen took one look at the girl and responded; she didn’t want to leave her hanging. ‘I suspect not. We tend not to pursue charges in cases of false rape claims. Right or wrong, it actually adds further damage to a situation that’s already complicated enough. You may have to have some counselling or something. We will have to see what our DCI wants to do.’

‘Thank you,’ Caitlin said, looking up at Imogen.

‘Don’t you dare thank me,’ Imogen said to Caitlin. As far as Imogen was concerned, she wanted nothing more to do with Caitlin, bar exonerating Adrian, and she certainly didn’t want her gratitude for not smacking her one. Imogen turned to DI Walsh. ‘I’ll be outside.’

She left the room, wishing, not for the first time in recent days, that she hadn’t given up smoking. She would have to go outside and stand among the other habitual users and see if second-hand smoke made her feel any better. She hoped Caitlin’s statement would be enough to exonerate Adrian as quickly as it had implicated him. She hoped everyone in the station knew that Caitlin had lied about her partner. Imogen couldn’t imagine how horrible it must have been to be accused of that crime, to know that at least some of your friends thought there was a possibility that you did something as inhuman as that.

Chapter Sixteen

Adrian and Imogen were in the incident room, with pictures spread out over the walls and tables. They had photos from the Norris murder, the Mitchell murder and some of the images of the attack on Caitlin Watts. Adrian seemed to be fixating on the images of Caitlin’s bruised and battered body.