Chief Constable Kieron Bright sat at his desk with his strapped left leg up on another chair. Cat had bandaged it, and put on a knee support, was taking him for an X-ray later that afternoon. Meanwhile, he was in his office, with Serrailler and DCI Helena Blades, newly appointed, and moved from Bristol. She was pretty, Simon noted, but doing her best not to let it show, with hair in a tight ponytail, face bare of any make-up. She looked tense.

‘Before I get to the details, welcome, Helena – we know one another of course and I’m very pleased you’re here. I wanted you in today mainly so that you can get up to speed on this case. I know Simon’s filled you in but it has moved rather fast in a direction we didn’t anticipate –to start with it looked open and shut, and perhaps it will turn out to be so, but perhaps not. We’ll see. Sorry, I just need to shift my leg.’

He tried but the chair it had been resting on shot forward. Simon got up. ‘Think you need to wedge it. You don’t look comfortable.’

‘Cushion would help . . .’ The Chief looked down mournfully at his knee.

‘I’m not sure the station runs to soft furnishings – you know how our resources have been cut to the bone.’ Simon did not meet his brother-in-law’s eye as he looked round, spotted three or four heavy files and settled the leg on the top of those on the now stable chair. Kieron looked doubtful and adjusted his leg this way and that.

The DCI waited, apparently distancing herself from the whole scene.

‘That seems better.’

‘A bit. Thanks. Right, let’s get to it. Liam Payne’s body was found in the flat above the Chinese herbalist’s premises in Starly. The PM was conducted by Professor Shenfield at Bevham General Mortuary and he recorded the expected cause – self-administered OD of heroin. No note or anything else indicating that it might have been suicide, so the body was released to the family and the funeral took place on the 24th at St Vincent’s Roman Catholic Church, with burial in Fuller Road municipal cemetery. Case closed. Meanwhile, the Chinese herbalist, Mr Wang, has been under observation. Anything new on that by the way?’

‘No. We’ve had a patrol checking the place every night but there’s been no sign of anyone at all, and no vehicles. You’ve had my report of the single sighting I made but nothing since.’

‘I don’t want too much time wasted on patrols hanging about doing nothing in Starly. We’re stretched as it is.’

‘I’ve asked for them nightly until this coming Friday and then once a week?’

‘No point, until Friday only, then call it off. Once a week is needle in a haystack time.’

Simon disagreed, nodded, said nothing.