‘Never set eyes on him. Can’t say I heard a peep either. Terrible thing to happen. You hear stories, but you never think … well …’ The woman’s hand went to her throat, as if to clutch at a string of pearls that weren’t there. ‘The officer who questioned me said he could arrange for someone to come and discuss home security with me.’

‘That’s certainly true,’ Clarke confirmed. ‘I can give you a ­number to call.’

‘The other officer already provided me with one. Maybe I’ll do something about it. I don’t get many visitors these days, and we always have biscuits in the tin, don’t we, Horatio?’

DCI Trask had gathered them in the MIT office for an update. The lab at Howdenhall had got into both Haggard’s computer and his phone. His phone service provider had promised by day’s end to have a list of calls sent and received.

‘So even if he’s deleted them from the device,’ Fox added, ‘they’ll be visible.’

‘Thank goodness you cleared that up for us, Malcolm,’ Esson cooed.

‘We’re also checking,’ Trask went on, ‘how many keys there were for the flat. Apart from the one found in the victim’s pocket, the answer seems to be at least two – both kept in a wall cabinet in Fraser Mackenzie’s private office. Both have been accounted for, meaning the killer gained entry without a key.’

‘Though keys can be put back after use, ma’am,’ Jason Ritchie piped up, receiving a steely look for his troubles.

‘Still,’ Trask continued, ‘the more likely scenario – by far the more likely – is that Haggard himself allowed his killer access, either by buzzing them in or by taking them home with him. We still don’t know where he’d been doing his drinking, and I’m keen for us to get that timeline a lot clearer, so I hope you all like visiting bars and clubs. But do try not to get yourself papped coming out of too many of them.’

‘Speaking of which,’ King said, ‘online media’s getting pretty restless.’

‘Malcolm’s already flagged up that article from this morning,’ Trask said, nodding. ‘I dare say there’s more to come. But here’s the thing – we’re not the Met, nothing like the Met. We do things differently up here. This inquiry gives us the opportunity to prove that.’

‘You’re saying we shouldn’t bury bad news?’ Clarke asked, trying to make it sound like an innocent question and managing not to look in Fox’s direction.

‘Correct,’ Trask answered. ‘Scrutinising Tynecastle and its officers – as we’re about to do – might bring about changes for the better. We just need to maintain focus on doing the job ahead of us.’ She scanned the room, checking that heads were nodding in agreement.

‘What’s the thinking on the murder weapon?’ Tess Leighton asked, breaking off from writing in her notebook.