Sophie looks from Robin to the police detective. There’s something they’re not telling her. ‘It’s Simon, isn’t it?’ she says. ‘He’s dead?’

‘What do you know about last night?’ DI Craig repeats.

Sophie shakes her head. ‘Finn and Simon left about nine p.m. with Justin, the cameraman. They were due to be out until dawn, filming the storm. Finn has been developing a new dual polarisation Doppler and Dr Sharp wanted to use it for his TV series, so he got Finn on board.’

‘A what? Sorry?’

‘It’s a high-resolution radar. Storm chasers have been using them for years, but this is next-generation, the first of its kind. Finn was excited. He’s wanted to see it in action for ages, but funding’s been a problem. Not once Dr Sharp came along.’

She remembers Finn coming back from the university six months ago, bubbling with excitement. He’d received an email from an old friend – that TV weather guy, have you seen him on the BBC? – and he wanted to get together. Discuss some new project he had in the pipeline. Sophie was pleased for Finn, but excitement had slowly turned into nerves, then anxiety. Finn has put everything into getting ready for this storm.

She knew she couldn’t trust them – she knew. Finn had told her the stories from the lab; all those egos, competing for attention. People think all scientists are quiet – nerds, harmless, unobtrusive – but they can be sneaky and underhand. And now look what’s happened.

‘So they were out here to film the storm and use this equipment thing?’ Robin continues, and Sophie nods. Robin turns to DI Craig. ‘So what on earth happened?’ he whispers to her.

Sophie feels the panic swell in her chest again. ‘What has happened?’ she pleads, her voice rising. She looks desperately to Robin, then to DI Craig and back again. ‘Please tell me.’

She sees Robin steel himself before he speaks. ‘We understand that Simon Sharp is dead, yes. And Finn’s refusing to come out of the van, saying he’ll kill himself if we come close.’

‘What?’ Sophie can’t believe what she’s hearing. ‘But that’s absurd! Finn would never kill himself, he’s not like that. You know that, Robin!’ She looks at her boyfriend’s so-called best mate. Robin is just standing there, completely calm. ‘How can you not care what’s going on? How can you be so robotic?’ she screams. ‘Do you not have feelings?’

Robin’s expression hardens. ‘I’m as worried as you are,’ he says in Sophie’s face. ‘But I know that getting hysterical isn’t going to help anyone. I want to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible, and screaming and shouting won’t get us anywhere.’ Robin stops and looks at her closely. ‘Are you high, Sophie?’ he asks.

Sophie rapidly backs away.