‘It needs to be shown ASAP to the witness at George’s address. Let’s look at the photo of the geezers in the white van again.’ He brought the images up on screen, but they were too grainy to be sure. ‘Address of the antiques place?’

Kelly gave it to him, and he barked an order through the microphone attached to his computer. A car was instantly on its way to the warehouse.

‘What about the van sighting and the men seen by Graeme Millar at Allerdale House?’

‘No number plate match.’

‘Who is this Graeme Millar?’

‘He’s ex-army. Owns a boatyard, and he’s just been hired by Sebastian Montague-Roland to renovate Allerdale House.’ Johnny was a source of valuable information at times.

‘Ex-army?’

‘Matt, it’s impossible. I know him! He’s a friend.’

‘That counts for nothing, Kell, and you know it.’

‘Stop calling me that! He has no motive.’ She found herself defending somebody just because she liked him, and it felt unethical.

‘Anybody can be bought, and these killings were unemotional.’ He raised his voice. ‘He knows how to handle a weapon, and he was snooping about Allerdale House. What regiment was he in?’

‘I don’t know. You’ve got this wrong, Matt.’

‘You’re too close to a suspect. I wonder if Leo Brown ever served with Graeme Millar.’

Kelly sat down heavily. She needed some fresh air. Being in the office with Matt was suffocating. She looked at her watch. She’d asked the driver to pick her up at 5 p.m. and it was 4.30 now. Her case was all packed and in the boot of the car, and she’d checked out of her room.

‘You can’t leave,’ Matt said.

‘Jesus, Matt. Stop it. It’s even more important for me to get back there now, seeing as you’re hell-bent on the idea of Graeme Millar masterminding the whole thing with a load of army mates.’

They glared at one another. Neither of them realised that a small crowd had gathered in the adjoining office to watch them argue. No one had seen anyone stand up to the DCI before, and it was good viewing.

‘As SIO, I think I’ll have to visit the scenes in the north myself.’

‘What? You would really be that childish, in the middle of a multiple murder investigation?’ Kelly went to walk out, but he held her arm. ‘Let me go, Matt.’

He looked past her through the window to the other offices, and the crowd quickly dispersed. He dropped her arm and she walked towards the door. When she reached it, she turned around.

‘I’ll have my phone and my iPad switched on the whole journey home, and we can work together on updates.’ It was weak and she had a momentary prick of guilt. He looked very alone there in his engine room, with no one to bounce ideas off. He said nothing.