While the team waited to see what was going to happen next, Jane was told to remove all of Justine’s coffee cups from interview room one and went up to the canteen to get a tray, shaking her head in irritation. There was a probationary officer on duty outside the interview room and she gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement, tapped on the door and walked in. A second uniformed officer, who had spent half the morning on duty, raised an eyebrow as Jane placed the tray onto the cluttered table. Justine was sitting crossed-legged, smoking a cigarette, her chair pushed away from the table.

‘I’ve just come to clear the coffee cups, Ms. Harris.’

Justine looked up but made no effort to acknowledge her; she behaved as if she had never seen Jane before.

Stacking the array of canteen mugs and plastic beakers, Jane picked up the ashtray full of cigarette stubs. As Justine was still smoking, Jane tipped the stubs into one of the coffee mugs and placed the ashtray back in front of Justine, who immediately flicked the ash from her cigarette onto the floor.

When Jane returned to her desk, McDermott was being ushered out of Tyler’s office and into the interview room so he could confer with Justine. Tyler was looking ragged. He walked over to Jane’s desk.

‘Can you organize some coffee and sandwiches for myself and DI Miller, Tennison? Oh, and you will not be required in the interview of Ms. Harris.’

Jane now really felt she was being punished for her mistake over the camel-hair coat.

A uniformed officer came into the incident room to say that McDermott and Justine Harris were now ready to be interviewed.

The young DC Gary Dors looked over to Jane and spoke in a whisper. ‘He’s got everybody running after him, it’s beyond belief. You’d never get this if it was just the station brief handling the interview. Just shows you what money can do.’

He quickly returned to typing up a report about a handbag snatch as DI Miller and Tyler left the room to begin the interrogation.

A few moments later DCI Collins walked into the incident room, asking to speak to Tyler, but when told he was not available, he crossed over to Jane’s desk. He looked slightly sunburnt as he had white sunglass marks around his eyes.

‘Is there any update on Max and Ivor Summers?’ he asked.

Spencer wandered over. ‘I heard from one of the agents that a film that was due to be released in the UK has been withdrawn. I believe Ivor has flown in from New York.’

Collins smiled. ‘Well, that’s good. I can catch two birds with one stone. Although I quite fancied a quick trip to New York.’

*