"Miss Mitchell? Well, this is a surprise."

As soon as they'd returned to the Square, Katy had made up her mind to go to the police station and get the whole thing over and done with. Roxy had suggested that she spoke to Max first, but Katy set her face into a determined scowl and said she'd rather not. Part of her was looking forward to knowing that he wouldn't know what had hit him when the police turned up on his doorstep.

"DI Keeble." Katy nodded at her, sending the woman the smallest of smiles. "I'm sorry about earlier. I was worried about my appointment. I shouldn't have been so rude."

DI Keeble looked taken aback by the Mitchell's words and tone. "Oh… I hope everything went well."

"Fine, thank you. Well, no further complications, anyway." Katy told her quickly. "So, you wanted to ask me some questions?"

Again the detective looked confused. Katy smiled internally, knowing that she hadn't expected one of the famed Walford Mitchells to voluntarily come into the station to talk to the police. Taking advantage of her distraction, Katy nodded towards the door that lead through to the interview rooms.

"Shall we? I need to get home to my daughter."

Once they were settled in the interview room with DC Summerhayes seated alongside the DI, Katy leant back in her seat, resting her hands carefully over her bump. She had waved her right to call Ritchie, telling them that she had nothing to hide. DI Keeble started the tape, before fixing Katy with a fierce stare. Katy assumed that she had got over her initial shock at the voluntary appearance of the Mitchell and was determined to try and catch her on the back foot.

"Where were you on the night Lucy Beale was killed, Miss Mitchell?" DI Keeble demanded, jumping straight in with the question she had been dying to ask all day.

"I was at the housewarming party my mum and aunt threw at our new house, number 27." Katy started. As the DI opened her mouth to dispute her words, the brunette smiled. "But then I left at… about eleven?"

The detective looked as though she had a bad taste in her mouth. "You never mentioned that when DS Bryant and DS Holt asked you about your whereabouts."

"Well, no." Katy admitted with a sigh. "When I spoke to your colleagues I didn't know what I know now." She told them with a slightly bitter smile. "I left the party to meet someone… someone who I should have known better than to meet. At the time I thought it would be best not to mention who I was with because of how much drama it would cause. Now, though…"

"Who did you meet, Miss Mitchell?" DI Keeble demanded impatiently.

Katy looked her square in the eyes and, almost defiantly, gave her a name. "Max Branning."

"Max Branning?" DC Summerhayes repeated shakily.

"Yes."

"And what was it that you discovered that's made you change your mind about telling us where you were?"

"He was sleeping with Lucy, wasn't he?" Katy snapped, letting her cool slip for a moment. Taking a breath, she reigned in her emotions. "I knew me and him weren't serious… I've known Max too long to ever imagine anything different. It was a bit of fun. I wouldn't have wanted it to be anything more; too many people would have got hurt… I guess they will now. But I've found that I don't care. I'm not lying anymore… especially not so he can save face. I've got my kids to think about."

"Is Max Branning the father of your baby?"

"Babies. I'm having twins." Katy informed her bluntly. "But no, no he's not. Thank fu– God. Thank God."

If Katy wasn't very much mistaken, DC Summerhayes had gone extremely pale. Before the young woman could make any comment, however, DI Keeble frowned at her. "So why now? Why are you telling the truth now?"

"Because I'm not stupid, DI Keeble. I can see how this is going." Katy leant forward, resting her elbows on the table between her and the detectives. "You've discovered that I wasn't at the party all night, so you decided that I must have something to do with Lucy's death. I didn't and I have an alibi to prove it. The only reason I didn't tell you lot straight away was because it would have been awkward and caused drama if everyone found out. But now… now I don't care about that. I didn't have anything to do with Lucy's death."

"You do realise we'll have to speak to Mr Branning about this?" DI Keeble challenged her.

"Go ahead." Katy shot back.

"I'll speak to him." DC Summerhayes offered at once.

Her superior shot her a strange look and shook her head. "No, I'll do it. I'd quite like to." She stood up. "Would you mind waiting here, Miss Mitchell? Just in case we need to speak to you some more."

"My pleasure." The Mitchell agreed, sending her a snide smile.

"Emma… stay here." DI Keeble ordered, leaving the room and closing the door firmly behind her.

Katy wouldn't admit it, but she was on tenterhooks waiting for the woman to return. She sat, looking outwardly calm, but inside she was buzzing with nervous energy. The young woman wouldn't put it past Max to completely deny that she had been with him; unless he realised that it would give him a solid alibi too.

What felt like hours later, the door opened and DI Keeble walked in. She pulled the door closed behind her and took her seat before speaking. Katy waited anxiously for the detective to tell her, one way or the other, whether Max had confirmed her alibi. DI Keeble let out a long sigh, almost sounding disappointed.

"Mr Branning confirms you were with him from about eleven fifteen on the night of Lucy Beale's death until half past five the next morning." As Katy smiled, the woman arched an eyebrow. "He also informed me that you've been sleeping with him since November and that you knew about his relationship with Lucy Beale before her death."

"He's wrong." Katy lied immediately. "I didn't find out until everyone else did."

"Really?"

"Yes. How would I know? Do you think Max would have told me he was sleeping with her at the same time? Or is he suggesting that Lucy would have told me?"

DI Keeble looked slightly unsure, but then she nodded slowly as though grudgingly admitting that it was unlikely that the dead girl would have admitted her affair to someone it was widely known that she severely disliked.

"When did your affair with Mr Branning end?"

"Before Lucy died. I'd had enough and I ended it. That night… it was a mistake."

DI Keeble ended the interview and stood up. She fixed Katy with a serious look as she showed her to the door. "I suggest, Miss Mitchell, that you think more carefully about who you enter into relationships with in the future."

"No offence, but I have a mother." Katy told her bluntly.

"I hope she's given you similar advice, then."

The brunette laughed, shouldering her bag. "She definitely has."