‘In that case, I’m going to have to formally request that any interviews, whether with suspects or witnesses, are done through the proper channels. This is a murder investigation. We’ve got to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. No more off-the-record chats, no prancing about at village fetes. The next time I pull you into this office, it’ll either be to congratulate you for securing a charge, or to pull you off the case completely and hand it over to EMSOU. Do I make myself clear?’

Caroline tensed her jaw. ‘Yes, sir. Perfectly clear.’

She stood and left Arnold’s office and headed back to the incident room. Before she could reach the door, she started to feel lightheaded.

Her vision seemed to close in on itself, dark edges appearing around the outside, as if she was reversing at speed through a tunnel. A wave of nausea flooded through her, followed by a sudden hot flush. It was as though someone had turned the temperature up twenty degrees in an instant. Before she could work out what was going on, she felt her legs buckle beneath her. Trying desperately to steady herself against the wall, she slid down it, feeling the cold of the plaster against her back before the taste of iron in her mouth as she hit the floor and felt the world close in on her.

It felt as though she’d blinked. Her breathing was shallow and she could feel the beads of sweat running down her face as she struggled to sit up.

‘Alright, it’s alright,’ came the sound of Aidan’s familiar voice. ‘Let’s take it easy. Take small sips of this for me.’

Caroline grasped the tumbler of water with shaking hands and did as he said. She felt weaker than she ever had before, and a thousand times as vulnerable.

‘I’m fine. Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast and lunch. I didn’t get much sleep either.’

‘Sara’s called you an ambulance. They’re on their way.’

‘No. No. Cancel it. I’m fine. Please.’

‘At least let me take you in. You need to be checked,’ Sara said.

‘No. I don’t. I haven’t eaten, I haven’t slept. That’s all. There’s no point wasting their time. I just passed out, that’s all.’ She looked up at Aidan and Sara. ‘Seriously. Cancel it. I’m not joking.’

Sara looked at Dexter. He gave a slight nod, and Sara walked away, mobile phone in hand.

‘Aidan, go and get another glass of water, will you?’ Dexter said, before watching him head towards the kitchenette. ‘You alright?’ he asked her.

‘I’m fine, Dex. Honestly.’

‘You don’t look fine. What’s been going on?’

‘Nothing. I’m just tired and I haven’t eaten.’

‘You know I don’t believe you, right?’

‘I didn’t ask you to.’