‘Only none of this is confirmed, nothing was actually discovered – or, correction, it hasn’t been yet but they are investigating. They couldn’t pin anything on Shenfield – who I respected, by the way, I learned a hell of a lot from him, he was a good man and a good, careful pathologist – didn’t set the world alight but which one of us does? It’s just a steady game, most of the time. Anyway, over the last few months, a couple of people noticed that he wasn’t altogether on the ball. A junior doctor and one of the mortuary technicians came to me about him – and this was separately, neither knowing about the other, which is what made me sit up. Shenfield would forget the odd thing, make the odd slip – nothing major, just pretty unusual mistakes for a man of his status and experience . . . you know, picking up the wrong instrument, starting to do something he had already done. On one occasion, he seemed unaware of it and had to have it pointed out to him, and then apparently he just looked confused. It wasn’t hard to see what might be happening.’

‘Dementia?’

‘Of some sort, yes, probably. Although it wasn’t quite as urgent to have him stopped as it would be if he were a surgeon operating on the living, it still couldn’t be ignored. And then a couple of discrepancies in his case notes were spotted, another technician mentioned something he himself hadn’t been happy about . . . some omission.’

‘Do you know which cases are under review?’

‘Not the details. Shenfield’s full path reports will have to be taken line by line.’

‘Are any of them police matters?’

‘You’d have to be the judge of that. I can let you know more when I know more myself, and there may be nothing, it’s only suspicions, queries, not a done deal.’

‘Understood.’

‘The prof was always the most meticulous path, and incredibly hard-working – his team used to complain that he’d always fit in another, if there was a backlog, – and he was a devil for ferreting out the truth too – if something didn’t seem quite right, he was on it and he’d find it. He was inspirational.’

‘Until recently.’

‘Last couple of months. None of what’s been happening lately was in character. No, it’s early signs of dementia, no question. Right, another half and then I’d better get home. You?’

‘I’m fine, thanks.’

‘Limit to how much spicy tomato juice you can take.’

Adam went to the bar. A few more people had come in but this was not going to be a busy night.

‘So,’ he said, sitting down again with, Simon noted, not a half but a pint, ‘what’s your worry?’

Serrailler filled him in on Liam Payne.

‘What do you think doesn’t add up?’