A thousand thoughts swirled around her head as she woke up. Where were Mark and the boys? What happened to Smallwood? Was Dexter okay? What about her job? She was certain it wouldn’t go down well once her superiors found out she’d gone to Smallwood’s house alone, even though she’d been taken off the case. But in that moment, she didn’t care. She was alive.

‘Has anyone ever told you you look ridiculous when you’re asleep?’

She didn’t need to turn her head, because she recognised the voice immediately. She let out half-laugh, half-sigh. ‘Thanks, Dex.’

‘No, seriously. Your mouth sort of hangs open like a fish, but only a little bit. When you breath in and out your lips kinda click and pop. It’s weird.’

‘Spoken like a true failed doctor. Don’t tell me — you finally passed the exams so they let you treat me.’

‘You wish. I’m only here because I didn’t fancy taking the rap from Arnold. I’m not going anywhere near the office until I’ve got you in front of me as a human shield.’

‘What happened to Smallwood?’

‘He’s in the nick.’

‘Leicester?’

‘Yup. No skin off our nose. Saves us having to look at him again. It’s a bit of poetic justice, in a way. He wanted to end his days in Rutland. Now he’s stuck in a prison cell in Leicester. Can’t beat bad luck, can you?’

‘I’m sure Leicester’s lovely.’

‘Yeah, well you did take quite a knock to the head. Apparently he’s made a full confession. Nothing to lose, I guess. There’s a decent chance he won’t even make it to trial.’

‘Judging by the strength he showed last night, I think he’s got a fair bit left in the tank yet.’

‘Silent killer, apparently.’

‘Him or the brain tumour?’

Dexter laughed. ‘At least it means there’s some closure. And in even better news, Patrick Walsh thinks you’re only the second-biggest dick in Rutland. Turns out Smallwood had got wind of his affair with Alice Clifton from watching the family’s movements and thought it’d be a fun little twist to his game if he implicated Walsh. I think he just wanted to fuck up the entire family.’

‘It’s not just the one family, though, is it? What he did spreads so much further than that.’

‘Regroup, rebuild and whatever the other R-word is.’

‘Listen, Dex, if I end up getting let go, I just want you to know I’m really grateful for everything you’ve done. Not just with Smallwood, but… you know.’

‘You won’t be going anywhere. Whatever goes down on paper, the fact is it was you who worked out it was Smallwood. If it wasn’t for you, he’d be lying at the bottom of Rutland Water right now, having died an innocent man.’