Clement had to agree. ‘Send the reports directly to me, and I’ll pass it on to WPC Loveday,’ he said. At least, that way, they could keep Jennings out of the loop for a while longer, giving them a bit more time to gather conclusive evidence. It was inevitable, of course, that the case would be taken away from them sooner or later, but he was sure that Trudy would agree with him that they were still the best people for the job.

‘I’ll do that, old sport,’ his friend said. ‘Happy hunting.’

Clement grunted and hung up.

It wasn’t until he looked up that he saw his son was watching him from the doorway of his study, a gentle smile on his face.

‘That sounded all very promising and cloak-and-dagger,’ Vincent said with a grin. ‘You look disgustingly like the proverbial cat that just ate the canary. Is it something to do with the case?’ he added eagerly.

Clement regarded his only son with a grin of his own. ‘You’ve changed your tune,’ he accused amiably. ‘I thought I was overworking?’

Vincent shrugged. ‘Yes, well, since you’ve been telling me all about this Terry Parker fellow, I admit, I’ve become intrigued.’

Clement leaned back in his chair, his eyes impish. ‘Fancy lending a helping hand?’ he offered magnanimously. He was sure Trudy wouldn’t mind if he brought Vincent in on things, just as an added pair of hands.

Chapter 20

Trudy was surprised to hear a knock at her door just before eight o’clock the next morning. Her Land Rover taxi wasn’t due for another half-hour, and she hoped that there wasn’t an emergency call-out somewhere. She quickly picked up her piece of half-eaten toast and trotted to the front door, where she found Clement Ryder standing on her doorstep.

‘Dr Ryder! Please, come in,’ she said, backing away. Upstairs, she heard a creak, and realised that her voice had carried to her parents upstairs, who were, she was sure, about to get dressed and make a hasty appearance. They both liked and approved of the professional man, and were secretly proud that he thought so highly of their daughter that he insisted she act as his police liaison.

‘Do you want a cup of tea?’ She led him to the small kitchen, where the electric bars on the fire had chased away the worst of the freezing temperatures.

‘Thank you,’ Clement accepted, sitting at the table.

By the time her parents came quickly down the stairs, he’d given her both the good news and the bad news about the toxicology results. Good, because at least now they could be reasonably certain Terry Parker’s car crash had not been due to the bad weather or drunken driving. Bad, because once DI Jennings knew about it, they both understood that the case would quickly be yanked out from under them.