She thought about it, lying back on her pillow and yawning deeply. He had a point. When she was away, even if it was just on the boat on the lake, out of mobile phone reach, she did unwind. The commissioner in charge of Hendon had already said that the inquiry was being divided. Their side of things – the murders of George and his associates – was almost wrapped up.

‘Why don’t you have a look while I’m out? Are you on call today?’ she asked.

He nodded. ‘I’ll drive you in. Pick you up later too. How long will you be there?’

‘It all depends if we can get confessions wrapped up and a likely case for the CPS. Things might heat up if any new information comes to light. We know who did it; we’ve got the fall guys in custody. But we don’t know exactly who ordered it. Remember that colonel you told me about? Leo Brown shagged his daughter at Catterick.’

‘Dansford?’

‘Same. He shot himself yesterday.’

‘Fatal?’

Kelly nodded, and sat up to stretch.

‘Christ. Why?’

‘Well that’s it, I’m not sure, but without him, it’ll be harder to pin down who did what.’

‘So he was definitely involved?’

‘Up to his eyeballs. But he’ll take his contacts to the grave.’

‘Come here.’ He took her face between his hands and kissed her. Her body was willing her to stay in bed and phone in sick, or pretend to be invisible: anything to not leave.

‘Have you checked on Graeme?’ she asked, pulling herself away.

‘I was going to do that today. Is the girl all right?’

‘Tilly? She’s going to be OK. My mission today is making the bastard who stabbed the officer talk.’

Johnny took her hand. ‘Why don’t you have a shower and I’ll do breakfast. When do you want to leave?’

Thirty minutes later, they were in Johnny’s car on the way to Eden House. When they got there, Kelly sighed and swore.

‘What?’ Johnny asked.

‘That’s Matt.’

Johnny looked to where a man was standing on the red stone steps outside the office. He pulled up and Kelly opened her door. The man stared at him. Johnny smiled and waved.

Kelly turned to him and widened her eyes. ‘Stop it.’

Matt came towards the car. ‘Morning, Kelly.’

‘Matt, this is Johnny. Johnny, Matt.’

Johnny reached across and held out his hand. Matt shook it.

‘Call me when you want a lift,’ Johnny said, and Kelly shut the door, watching him drive away.

She and Matt entered Eden House in silence and took the lift up to her floor. She would only call her team in should she need them. Coordination with London would allow her to make that decision later.

Matt spoke first. ‘Did you sleep?’

‘Like the dead.’ She regretted the choice of phrase. ‘Too well.’