Having his back to David, Steve did not see him enter. As soon as Andy saw them, he stood up and said, ‘Here’s David. Is Debbie OK?’ As Andy spoke, Steve looked round. On seeing his DS, he stood up and walked over to him as David said, ‘She’s fine thanks. When we got back to Chester, I dropped her off at the hotel so she can get her head down. She hasn’t had any sleep for nearly thirty-six hours now so she’s really knackered.’ ‘And I bet when you two got back to the hotel she didn’t go to sleep straight away,’ Steve said, holding out his hand to David, ‘you’re looking a little knackered yourself there mate!’ ‘Cheeky fucker,’ David said embracing his old friend. ‘When we found out what happened with McCullagh, we were worried for her. In all seriousness is she alright?’ Steve asked. ‘You know Debbie, she can more than look after herself,’ David said pleased to see familiar, reliable faces around him.
