Someone rattled at the shop door and Wang leapt up. ‘I have to open up, I have been closed for too long, customers will be very annoyed.’

‘No problem, I’m leaving now. Thank you, you’ve been very helpful but if you do remember or anyone comes in, here’s my card, direct line, station number as well . . .’

Wang was already at the door with his hand on the latch. Denzil had kept his last question until the herbalist was about to open the door.

‘Do you sell illegal drugs, Mr Huang? Do you have any opiates on the premises?’

‘No, I do not. I would never do this. I am qualified and I am licensed. I would risk losing everything, my business, my reputation. Never.’

‘Good. Thanks for your time. Better let this impatient customer in.’

Wang saw Denzil walk away as the woman started to explain to him about her father’s ulcerated leg. He fetched a small jar of ointment, labelled it and printed off an instruction sheet. ‘If there is no healing in five days please come back, and then I will give him powders as well. But if he has any temperature or sign of infection then you must see the doctor or go to the hospital. Please keep a careful watch.’

The woman had questions, he had to go over everything again before she left. The shop had been empty for ten seconds when two men pushed their way in, dropped the lock and turned the sign to Closed. Wang held up his hands.

‘No! No, I have nothing to tell you, I have been away at my uncle’s funeral, I have –’

‘Shut it, Wang.’

He did not know their names. In the beginning, they had phoned to warn him, now they just came in like this. It had been going on for more than a year.

‘Anyone out the back?’

‘No.’

‘OK, usual routine, stay here, no opening up if someone rattles on the handle.’

‘Listen to me, I do not want this any more. Please.’

‘What was the cop after?’

‘What cop?’

The taller one cleared his throat, then spat out a gobbet of phlegm onto the floor.

‘That one. Now turn round, Wangker.’

They were in and out of the stockroom in little more than a minute.

‘No treasure hunting, all right? And if the cop comes back, we were after some of the lotus flower johnnies.’

Seven

Two people had come forward to say that they knew the dead drug addict. The first had decided quickly, on seeing the photograph of the dead body enlarged and also receiving a detailed description, that he had been mistaken. The second was sent packing by the duty sergeant without getting as far as CID.

‘Nutter, guv.’

‘You sure?’

‘Put it this way – every time we put out a request for more information or an ID, he turns up. Every. Single. Time.’