Walker eased off his jacket, placing it carefully on the back of his chair. He had heavy-lidded eyes and, Jane thought, there was almost a thuggish quality to him. When he spoke, there were still traces of a cockney accent.

‘Right, I’ll make no bones about it. This murder inquiry is at a standstill. I am in no way pointing blame at any one of you gathered here, but I have taken the unprecedented step of bringing in three very accomplished detectives who have, for the last twenty-four hours, made themselves privy to the entire investigation to date. We are very fortunate as one of the officers was here in London from the famous FBI training academy in Quantico. He is an accomplished criminal psychologist and an expert profiler.

‘As you are all very well aware, this case has created a lot of press interest, and some of it not very welcome. I want to reiterate the warnings you have been given not to be drawn into any dialogue with reporters. I am also taking this opportunity to inform you that due to recent and ongoing health issues, Detective Inspector Timothy Arnold has taken a lengthy leave of absence and will be replaced.’

Spencer nudged Jane. He was about to whisper something when there was a knock on the door. Tyler pushed his chair back and crossed to open the door. It was not theatrical in any way, because everyone gathered was tense and felt as if any one of them could be removed from the inquiry. The first man who entered was a thin, wiry detective with jutting cheekbones, his blond hair cut short, almost military style. He wore an expensive-looking suit and a blue shirt with white starched collar and cuffs.

‘This is Detective Inspector Lucas Miller, who will be replacing DI Arnold,’ Tyler announced.

Miller nodded acknowledgement and sat down beside Walker.

Tyler then ushered in the second man. He had red hair, pale, watery blue eyes and ruddy cheeks that gave him a boyish quality, but he had a muscular physique, as if he worked out. He was wearing what appeared to be an off-the-peg, grey single-breasted suit with a cream buttoned-down shirt.

‘This is Detective Chief Inspector Jack Collins,’ Tyler said. ‘He handles serious organized crime cases.’

‘He spends a lot of his time abroad on investigations, but as you can see, he never manages to get a sun-tan,’ Walker chipped in.

Jane peered over the shoulder of the officer in front of her to get a good look at DCI Collins as a ripple of laughter went around the room.

Finally, standing patiently in the doorway, was the man who Jane had heard called Harry Belafonte. He was a tall, handsome black man and, unlike the two previous detectives, he was not wearing a suit. He had on a black turtleneck sweater and a fashionable jacket with dark trousers.