‘Dalliances,’ Cullen says. ‘The university discourages them but they’re not a sackable offence, or at least, not if there’s been no academic benefit to the student as a result. The heart wants what the heart wants and all that.’ He lets out an indulgent little chuckle. ‘Unfortunately there was some suggestion that Mark had allowed his personal preferences to affect his impartiality, began to alter his paramour’s grades, which is why we decided, on balance, to let him go. Evidently Thirsk believes in second chances in a way that more exacting institutions don’t.’

DC Hassan smiles pleasantly while his colleague remains buried in her notepad.

‘Lovely house,’ he says, ‘Big. Just you and Mrs Cullen here, is it?’

‘Yes,’ Cullen says, shifting on his seat. ‘At least, my wife, who prefers to go by her unmarried name, by the way…’

‘Which is…’

Cullen suppresses an internal smile. This will impress them. ‘Well, officially she’s the Honourable Veronica Fanshawe-Drew.’ He’s about to go on and explain that Veronica is pregnant, when DC Hassan says, ‘You and Mrs Cullen both seem unusually fluid about your names. Let me see…’ He consults, or pretends to consult a notebook. ‘Didn’t you originally go by Mulholland…?’

‘Yes. That was my stepfather’s name. Cullen is my birth name. I changed it by deed poll back to Cullen after my mother and stepfather got divorced. It was a long time ago.’

‘Hmm. According to our intelligence, you would have been…’ DC Hassan hesitates and checks his notebook once again ‘…six when your mother and stepfather divorced. Quite precocious to change your name by deed poll at that age.’

‘Well, um no, it was…’

‘And you appear in your student records as Christopher Mulholland.’

‘Well, yes, I mean, that was still my official name but I was calling myself Christopher Cullen even then.’

‘Though none of your records indicate that. But let’s proceed. I’d like to know when Cullen did become your “official” name… Was it after your conviction for credit card fraud? Or following the incident of alleged rape at St Olaf’s University, which is near Ludlow I believe?’

Christ, he thinks, doing his best to hold himself in. They’ve done their homework.

‘That was dropped,’ he said. ‘A storm in a teacup. I was never even charged.’

An idea bubbles up. He flicks his eyes first to one officer then to the other, sees that they are attentive and launches in. ‘As a matter of fact, I’m glad you raised that. Because the woman who made that malicious and vindictive accusation – which was wholly without merit – happens to be using her daughter to spread outrageous lies about me as we speak. I am being harassed. This is what all of this is about.’