Meanwhile Sam had begun his own interview.

"Please state your name for the record."

"Samuel Joshua Avery."

Then came the questions, and more questions, and more questions.

"Can you tell me what your business was at the lab today?"

"I'm taking part in a long-term study on the effects of chemicals on the genes for my employer."

"What sort of chemicals?"

"Mainly Trinitrotoluene, cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, Hexamethlene Triperoxide Diamine and Triacetone-Triperoxide."

"And what are they used for?"

"They're all high explosives."

"And your employer is?"

"The British Army."

The detective stopped short at that statement, then made another note.

"So you work for the army?"

"Yes."

"Doing what, exactly?"

"I can't say."

"Try me."

"I really can't say?"

"Sir, you're going to have to give me something."

"I work in recruitment."

"Recruitment?"

"You're an army recruiter?"

"That's right. I can give you the contact details of my commanding officer, if you'd like."

"Please."

Sam reeled off names, ranks, addresses and contact numbers without a second thought. It took the detective a moment of scribbling to catch up.

"Tell me about your fight with the alleged bomber."

"Alleged?"

"He has not been convicted of a crime, or charged at this time."

"I was getting coffee in Pret with Lyn-"

"Miss Asmara?"

"Yes. We were getting coffee when we heard a bang. I saw smoke and people running. Lyn feared for her staff and ran inside. I followed to try and stop her."

"You didn't do such a good job of that did you?"

Sam frowned, but continued.

"Inside we saw the lab has been destroyed by a bomb."

"An explosion. We are looking into the cause."

"Whatever. I saw a man gathering things into a bag. He had a gun and fired at me. I hid. When he tried to leave I attacked him."

The detective made a scribble.

"So you admit to attacking him?"

"I..yes. I was trying to stop him escaping."

"You attacked a man to stop him escaping a laboratory which had just exploded."

"He was trying to steal something."

"DNA samples according to our statements."

"Yes."

"Are you an expert on DNA?"

"No."

"Just explosives."

"Well, yes-"

"So how did you know it was DNA in the bag? How did you know he didn't work there?"

"I've been there before. I didn't recognize him."

"Are you on first name terms with all the staff in the lab?"

"No."

"Lyn didn't recognise him either."

"Where was she while this was happening?"

"With Alice. She was hurt in the explosion."

"Did she tell you the man didn't work there?"

"No."

"So you attacked him anyway?"

"Yes."

"From behind?"

"He had a gun!"

"He was unarmed when we brought him in."

"I took it and locked it in a drawer. You can find it. It will have his fingerprints on.

He scribbled another note.

"Tell me more about the explosion."

"I didn't see it, I heard it."

"But you are an expert in explosives? You said that was your job."

"It is, but I was in another building down the street. I don't know what caused it!"

"I'm just...I'm just struggling with the fact that a bomb went off in a building on the day that you happened to be in. A building you had visited before, so you knew the layout, and that it took place while you were a safe distance away."

"What are you saying? That I did this?"

"I'm just making sure I have the facts straight sir. Please don't get excited."

"Excited?!"

"Are those the facts as you understand them?"

"Sure, apart from the one where I didn't plant the bomb!"

"No-one is accusing you of that, sir."

Sam shoved his chair back from the table in anger.

"Oh come on! Why do you want to play this game. Ask the guy you arrested. And if you're so worried about my role in all this, arrest me too."

"Any further arrests will be made based on the evidence we have to hand. Sir. Now let's go over this again."