‘He rules the roost now, anointed by his old mentor. He’s probably never done anything without Fleck’s say-so. Every time we interviewed him, he’d been coached. But he was never exactly a firebrand – the break-in at Haggard’s, for example, I wouldn’t say that was his style.’

‘So is he losing control?’

‘Maybe.’ Fox paused. ‘I meant to thank you for last night, by the way. My ears won’t forget it in a hurry.’

‘Any time, Disco Stu. We ended up getting to Driscoll, didn’t we?’

‘Hopefully the first of many.’

‘Speaking of which …’ Clarke had noticed Christine Esson passing the doorway. Just behind her came Tommy Oram and Tess Leighton. Esson was back a minute later.

‘Promised him a drink,’ she said, switching the kettle back on. ‘Three sugars – who on earth takes three sugars these days?’

‘Mind if I sit in?’ Clarke asked.

‘You’re the boss. Should I tell Tess to stand down?’

‘If she’s okay with that.’

‘She might not be.’ Esson gave a glance in George Gamble’s direction as he part-stifled a belch. ‘Longer she spends away from her desk, the better she seems to like it.’

‘She can have mine,’ Fox offered. ‘Next bunch of files are waiting on the screen there.’

Clarke took her coffee through with her, Esson carrying one for Tommy Oram. A quiet word with Leighton and she left the room. Oram played with the mug after it was set in front of him, but didn’t seem inclined to drink from it.

‘This is really just us filling in the blanks, Mr Oram,’ Clarke began. ‘Nothing for you to worry about.’ He nodded his understanding. ‘Do people call you Thomas or Tommy?’

‘Tommy.’

‘So, Tommy, how long have you worked for the Mackenzies?’

‘Three years, three and a bit.’

‘You’re a general handyman? Replacing light bulbs, fixing broken locks?’ He nodded again. ‘Making you a bit of a locksmith?’

‘Not really.’

‘The flat where Francis Haggard died, when was the last time you were inside?’

‘Before he moved in. Socket in the kitchen needed replacing, new batteries in the smoke alarms – just a general maintenance check.’

‘So you didn’t know him at all?’

‘No.’

‘And you’d no need for the tenement keys?’

‘No.’

‘There’s a key safe attached to the door jamb, isn’t there? I suppose you know the code.’ Clarke watched him shake his head. ‘Really?’

‘If I need a key, I get it from the office. Needs to be okayed with the Mackenzies or Marion.’

‘Marion being Mr Mackenzie’s assistant?’

‘She works reception.’

‘And I notice you said Mackenzies plural – are you meaning Mrs Mackenzie or your pal Gaby?’

‘Mrs Mackenzie,’ he answered. Then, ‘How do you know about me and Gaby?’

‘We’re detectives, Tommy. It’s our job to know.’ Clarke paused for a beat. ‘Been to any of the other flats in that building recently?’

‘Not since the maintenance check.’