‘Go away!’ This time the voice is louder, shouting. ‘There’s something wrong with me. I can’t… I don’t… I don’t want you here. I’m going to kill myself now, unless you get away from me.’

Robin backs off. ‘Okay, okay, I’m going to move. But I’m still outside, Finn. I’m still here. Just don’t do anything to yourself, please.’

Robin retreats from the van, then turns and goes back to Craig.

‘Fuck,’ he says under his breath. Craig’s face is stern. ‘Sorry.’

She shakes her head. ‘We were hoping because he asked for you…’ She takes a swig from the coffee cup next to her, thinking. ‘We need to get more information, a bit more intelligence before we make definite plans. I want to know how likely a suicide attempt is. I want this guy’s medical history.’ She directs the instruction to Grey, standing next to her. ‘Go and find out where this warrant is.’

She turns to Robin. ‘Do you have access to his flat? A key or something?’

Robin shakes his head. ‘No, but I think his mum does. I can go as soon as she arrives. I know the place,’ he says. A bit of a mistruth, but Robin’s desperate to get to the bottom of what’s going on. ‘It wouldn’t take me long to notice anything amiss,’ he adds.

Craig hesitates for a second, then nods.

‘I’ll call her myself now,’ Robin says, and Craig continues barking orders at her team.

Robin pulls his phone out of his pocket and moves away from Craig. He wants privacy to call Finn’s mum, but he also needs space. Up until today, as far as Robin knew, the worst thing Finn had done was accrue interest on his credit card.

Robin feels guilty at the sight of Freya’s text. He replies quickly, then looks for the number for Finn’s mum. After a pause, his call is answered.

‘Josie? It’s Robin. Robin Butler.’

‘Robin?’ He can hear car noise in the background. ‘Are you with Finn? Is he okay? What’s going on?’

‘Finn’s fine. Well…’ Robin’s unclear how to explain. ‘I’m sorry, Josie, I don’t know much. Finn was working last night—’

‘In the storm?’

‘Yes, and something happened. He’s locked himself in a van. Are you on your way?’

‘Sandra’s driving. We’ll be about half an hour.’

Robin is relieved. He knows that Sandra and Josie have been inseparable for years. It used to be the three women together – Sandra, Josie and Mary, Robin’s mother. The last thing he wants is an emotional Josie driving three hours from Devon by herself. Enough people he loves have died in car accidents already.

‘Is he okay?’ Josie pleads.