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“I didn’t-I couldn’t-he-he-he made me do it,” Charlie muttered so quietly it almost wasn’t picked up by the mic.

“Strangely enough, he said the same of you. It’ll be the courts that decide which of you is telling the truth now.”

And with that, DI Butt pressed the button on the tape recorder and swept out of the room.

And into the room we were in. Owen gave him a little clap, and DI Butt gave a mock curtsy.

“Thank you,” I whispered, though I really wasn’t sure what emotion I was feeling in the moment. Anger? Relief? Owen slipped his arm around me once more and gave me a squeeze and I realised I was just tired.

◆◆◆

“Are you ready?” Owen asked later, when I had given my witness statements and returned to my flat. I nodded quickly as I knew if I hesitated I couldn’t possibly do it.

“Oh, there’s this,” he said. He handed me a little unfamiliar key. “The police had your lock replaced to prevent access to your flat.”

“Great.” I didn’t have the energy for enthusiasm, so I stepped forward to fit the key into the lock. As the door swung open, I felt myself start to tear up.

“Fucking hell, they really took it all.” The little flat looked like it had been emptied to sell.

The TV unit was still in the living room, but they had even taken the little statement coffee tables I used to have in the middle.

The floor was bare of the rug that used to sit there and the kitchen units all hung open.

“Did they get the bedroom?” I asked.

“They did, I replaced the bedding for you though.” Owen gave a little smile as I glanced at him.

“Thank you, you’re the best best friend.”

“I know.”

I walked through the empty living room and into the bedroom. A quick cursory search of the bedside drawers revealed everything was gone. “Guess I’m going to work in denim tomorrow,” I said.

“We can get you some clothes now if you like?” Owen offered. “I’m sure there’s some shops open, and I have…” he produced a stack of envelopes from a little messenger bag “…all of your cards and financial stuff, kept in police possession.”

“In all honesty, I just want to sleep. I just want to go home.”

“You are home,” said Owen.

“Nah. Not any more.”

“You going to look for another flat then? One just came up for rent near me if you want to be closer. We could have wine nights every single Thursday!” I couldn’t bear to hear the puppy-like excitement in Owen’s voice, and I realised in a whirlwind week I hadn’t once confided my plans in him.

“Shit, ah,” I started, unsure how to broach the topic. “I’m moving. To Hiraeth.”

“To Wales?”

“Yes, to Wales.”

“Wow, whoever that guy was, he dickmatised you hard. Well done to him.”

“No, we didn’t…”

“You didn’t have sex? In a week? I’ve never known you wait more than an hour. Christ, we had sex before you even knew my name!”

“We…did stuff,” I said, sounding like a lame teenager. I realised I had left Llywelyn in the lurch, promised him something special and left him in the night. I hoped he would forgive me when I could get back.

I checked my little phone and tried calling Nain’s home number again, only to be notified that her answering machine inbox was full. “Fuck’s sake, I had a week to teach her how to use technology.”

“And you spent it all mooning over some wild Welsh hunk. I don’t blame you for your life choices, though I do judge you.”

“Shut up,” I swatted at Owen’s arm. “God I want to be back there right now.”

“Wow, I feel so wanted,” he said.

“No…it’s not that I don’t want to be here.

” I thought for a second. “No, scrap that. I definitely don’t want to be here.

Whatever attraction London held for me, and it still does - fast internet, nightclubs and cinemas all hold a special place in my heart.

But something switched, and I don’t know if being mugged reminded me of the dangers of living in the city, or if Hiraeth and the people were just that good , but within days of stepping off that train I knew it was the place to be. It’s not about the man.”

Owen gave me a look of disbelief, but I continued.

“Honestly, it isn’t about Llywelyn. Because he’s wonderful, and showed me just what I’ve been missing.

But if I went to Hiraeth tomorrow and he said he wasn’t interested in me, or that he didn’t want to pursue anything with me, I would be devastated but I would accept that.

And I would stay there. Because I’ve fallen in love with the place just as much as I’ve fallen in love with… ”

“With?” Owen prompted.

“No. Shut up. I’m not admitting that out loud. Not now.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

So I told Owen about the shop, and about the plans I had for it - how I wanted to create a community hub for the little village of Hiraeth, and the chance to pursue my own passions.

“So when are you going?” asked Owen.

“As soon as I can. I’m going to hand my notice, work a few weeks and get back to Hiraeth.”

“Why?” Owen asked.

“Because I want to go back there. Because I want to make a life there.”

“No, you idiot. Why are you waiting? You’ll be running your own business, you don’t need to serve your notice period. Why are you waiting for a reference?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.” I had been confident about my plan up until now, but Owen had put a chink in my armour. Should I be waiting? An image of Llywelyn flashed through my mind, and I wanted him. I was missing him already.

“Screw the right thing, get out there and get your man.” Owen sounded much more confident than I felt.