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Best. Standing in front of the freezer cabinet, putting a box of fish fingers into his basket. Two boxes. That was a lot of fish fingers for a single man, but then again, they were frozen. They didn’t go off.

Funny to see him, this day of all days. He’d been a suspect for a while when Maggie Cooper had gone, although there was never any evidence against him. Not that the lack of evidence had made Wynne any less certain he was involved.

She’d got carried away back then because she didn’t like him, and as she looked at him those feelings came flooding back. She walked down the aisle towards him.

‘Mr Best,’ she said.

He looked up, startled. ‘Yes? Who? – Oh. You.’ His eyes narrowed. There was real dislike in his expression.

She pointed at the fish fingers, remembered seeing him eating them at his house. ‘Shopping?’

‘Yes. As I am allowed to do.’

‘Of course. I’ll be on my way. Enjoy your meal.’

He smiled at her. For a second there was something sly, something secret in his smile, then it vanished.

‘You too, Detective Inspector Wynne.’

She chose her pizza and walked towards the checkout. She had a feeling there was something she should have noticed, something unusual.

It came to her as she paid.

He remembered her name. Rank and name. Surely that was something he would have forgotten by now?

But no.

Clearly, Best had a good memory.

Why did that disturb her? What was it she was missing?

She couldn’t find an answer. On her way home she stopped at the off-licence and picked up a bottle of red wine.

Then she picked up another. One wasn’t going to be enough.

Eight Years Earlier: Thursday, 1 July 2010

1

She heard the scraping sound. She took a deep breath. Seb’s third birthday was coming up. She wasn’t sure of the exact date – there were some gaps in the calendar – but it was close and she wanted to celebrate it. He didn’t have any of the things he should have had. No presents, no party with his friends, no cake. The only saving grace was that he didn’t know what he was missing. Seb was only three, so he had no idea what birthdays were. He would, though, as he got older, and so Maggie was determined to make the day as special as she could.

So she was going to ask the man for a few things. Candles. A cake. Maybe a toy. She would beg him if she had to.

It’s your birthday soon, she told him, when they woke up. You’ll be three. You’re getting to be such a big boy. I’m so proud of you.

What’s a birthday? he said.

The day you were born. You came out of Mummy’s tummy.

He looked at her stomach. I was in your tummy?

I grew you in there.

Oh. Why did I come out?

You had to. And the day you did was your birthday. Three years ago. She paused. On birthdays you get presents. And I have a present for you.

What is it?