When she woke up the next morning, Caroline didn’t need to think back to how many drinks she’d had. She could feel every one of them. But despite the hangover, she felt good. She’d made two breakthroughs the previous evening: she’d connected with Dexter and finally opened up — at least partially — and she’d got the distinct sense that there was more to Patrick Walsh than met the eye.

She shouldn’t have had a drink at all last night. A healthy body and a clear mind were vital today, and she was going into it with neither. She wasn’t looking forward to it in the slightest. She never had done. But it was always fine when she got there, and it was something that needed doing.

She felt an incredible wave of guilt every time. She’d thought it might diminish after the first time or two, but it hadn’t; it had got worse. She knew she’d have to tell Mark at some point. It was only a matter of time before he guessed or worked it out. But that wasn’t something she was ready to do just yet.

She walked down the stairs like any other morning, dressed for work and trying to hide any emotion from her face. Mark was waiting in the kitchen.

‘Morning,’ he said. Caroline could hear the boys watching TV in the living room.

‘Morning.’

‘Good night?’

‘Yeah. Made a nice change.’

There was still an undercurrent of frostiness after the previous morning, but Caroline didn’t want to think about that. She had other things to focus her mind on. More worthy distractions.

‘Good. It’d probably do you good to get out more,’ Mark said. ‘See people. Make friends.’

‘They’re work colleagues.’

Mark raised his hands in mock surrender. ‘Alright. Just saying. It might help you loosen up a bit, that’s all.’

‘I don’t need to “loosen up”, Mark. I’m a forty-year-old woman with two kids, and I’m the Senior Investigating Officer in charge of a murder case. I’m not backpacking round Tibet on my gap year.’

‘It’s all relative. Quick pint in the pub, three weeks smacked off your tits on magic mushrooms. Although I don’t think anyone could call last night a quick pint.’

‘Oh, encouragement in one sentence and a reprimand in the next. How very caring.’

Mark chuckled. ‘I’m not reprimanding you. I’m just pointing out you clearly had fun.’

‘It was fine. I had one or two drinks with colleagues, then I came home.’

Mark took a sip of his coffee. ‘What time did you get in?’ he said, over the rim of the cup he was cradling.

‘I dunno, I didn’t look at the clock. Just after eleven, I think.’

‘Try half twelve.’

‘Try asking me questions you don’t already know the answer to, Columbo.’