‘You had the Crew backing you up and repeating your lies. But now with Francis Haggard in the mortuary, they’ve got a lot more to lose. Are you confident you can still depend on them? I know I wouldn’t put money on it.’

Fleck cupped a hand to one ear. ‘I’m not hearing any evidence here that puts me within half a city’s distance of Francis when he got topped.’ He paused, meeting the stare Fox was giving him. Fox slapped his palms against the tabletop and, leaving them there, pushed himself upright, leaning across towards Fleck.

‘That smug self-satisfaction of yours is about to get a hefty dose of paint-stripper. The car-smuggling, the death of Kyle Weller, the crippling of Tony Barlow and everything else – you’re going to be made to pay for the lot.’

‘I look forward to seeing your evidence. I get the notion I might be six feet under first, though.’

‘Are you forgetting we’ve got Haggard’s computer? His killer wasn’t sharp enough to take it. I’d like to say that narrows down the possible suspects, but Tynecastle’s brimful of halfwits who’d have done what you told them. Then there are the notes he left behind in a drawer in Newhaven – whoever broke into the family abode only did half a job, messing the place up rather than searching it.’

‘We’ve got those same men on CCTV,’ Clarke improvised. ‘You’d be amazed what modern technology can do with just a pair of eyes.’

Fleck seemed to be chewing the inside of his cheek.

‘Feel free to do a line if you think you need one,’ Fox said, lowering himself back onto his chair. ‘Your boys seem to be reliant on the stuff. Shame the supply’s been choked off recently.’

‘Do you use narcotics, Mr Fleck?’ Clarke asked, keeping the question casual.

‘No comment,’ Alan Fleck said.

It was Malcolm Fox’s turn to smile. ‘Took you long enough,’ he said.

After they’d let Fleck go, Clarke and Fox lingered in the corridor, breathing in lungfuls of slightly fresher air.

‘One thing he wasn’t wrong about,’ Clarke commented. ‘That room is a COVID risk.’ Then, her eyes on Fox, ‘Computer files and written notes?’

Fox gave a shrug. ‘I was winging it. Definitely got to him, though. That was a nice line about the drugs, too.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Can we ID suspects from just the eyes, though?’

‘Given the right budget and a friendly face at Special Branch …’

Christine Esson appeared in the office doorway. ‘We think we’ve got something,’ she told them, drawing them inside.