Jane was pulling on her tights when the doorbell rang. She picked up the intercom and said that the front door was open, assuming that Spence must have forgotten something. She went back to the bedroom, swearing as she noticed a ladder in her tights. She tore them off and was searching through her underwear drawer for another clean pair when her bedroom door opened.

‘Good morning, Tennison.’

Jane whipped around in disbelief.

‘I’m a fraction early as I wanted to have a quick chat with you before we headed to Barnes,’ Miller said.

‘I’m so sorry, sir, I’ll be two minutes . . . ’ she blurted out, quickly shutting her bedroom door.

Miller walked into the kitchen and looked over the discarded hamburger cartons, the open bottle of ketchup and a crumpled newspaper still stinking of fish and chips, alongside an empty bottle of scotch.

Dirty crockery and cutlery was piled high in the sink. Miller backed out of the kitchen with a look of disgust on his face and walked into the small sitting room, stepping over a large, damp bath towel. Spencer had at least put the cushions back on the sofa before he had left.

As Miller went back into the small hallway, Jane opened her bedroom door. She was wearing a suit, a clean white shirt and a pair of black tights. Miller glanced at her. It was 8:25 a.m.

‘I’ll wait downstairs in the car,’ he said brusquely.

Jane went into the kitchen and saw what a tip it was. She was mortified that Miller had seen it like that. Her headache had now been replaced by a terrible feeling of nausea. She quickly rang her mother to say that she had been so caught up at work that she hadn’t done any laundry or cleaning, and asked her mother to use her spare keys to help her out by doing some housekeeping.

Jane swiftly mixed herself a glass of Andrews Liver Salts. It was now just after 8:30 a.m., the actual agreed time Miller said he would collect her.

Miller was sitting in the rear of the patrol car, with a uniformed driver up front. He didn’t attempt to open the car door for Jane to get in but stared straight ahead as she bent down to the passenger window.

‘Shall I get in the front, sir?’

He shook his head and gestured for her to sit beside him in the back. As she climbed in and shut the door, the driver turned on the ignition.

‘Detective Tennison, I am not one to interfere in officers’ private lives but I think, considering the status of this inquiry, it was perhaps not a good idea to fraternize with an officer on the team, whom I happen to know is married.’

Jane was speechless. She was considering how she should answer when Miller flipped open his leather briefcase.

‘Subject over and done with,’ he said curtly.