There is radio silence from Craig. The policeman on the door had been replaced, but apart from that, there is no movement on the case. It looks like Finn is going to be in hospital for some time, but Robin also knows this only gives Thames Valley Police a chance to collect more evidence against him. In normal circumstances, detectives have twenty-four hours after an arrest to request an extension, release or charge. But the countdown doesn’t begin until Finn is judged well enough to be taken into custody, and knowing his state now, it could be a while.

Being on the other side of the fence is infuriating. He has a new-found empathy for relatives.

His watch beeps, marking off two miles, and Robin makes a turn for home. As a kid, he was always sporty – kicking a ball around, getting on the rugby team without a problem – but he had never been into running. He can see why people like it. The soothing repetitive thud thud of his feet on concrete, letting his mind wander as he works out the frustrations of the day.

When he couldn’t bear it any longer at the hospital, he’d made his excuses and left. Josie looked up as he grabbed his coat.

‘See you tomorrow,’ she’d said, before turning back to Finn. And he’d nodded, but he now wonders whether he will. How long can he keep on driving up the M3 to be there for them? There’s no change in Finn’s condition, and he’s too far from the hub of the investigation to be any use.

His mind keeps coming back to Finn’s words. It was my fault. What had he meant? Were his comments about Jacob merely the confused ramblings of a disordered mind or something relevant to the case?

Robin turns the corner into his road and does a final sprint for home. He stops, resting his hands on his hips as he gets his breath back. There’s another runner in the distance, coming closer: a woman, lithe and fast. For a moment he thinks it might be Steph and he lifts a hand, before he realises it’s someone completely different. She waves back, even though she doesn’t know him, and Robin watches her go.

It’s strange to think about Steph after all this time. He knows she’s been avoiding him, another pathologist attending when one’s been needed at his crime scenes. He misses her, and despite wanting to call her, he’s respected her need for distance. He knows why they split up – she wanted kids, he didn’t – and nothing’s changed.