Their priority was finding Alexandros Skarparis. After all, he was the only one of the foursome working in the neurocellular lab who might still be alive, and he was also, so far, their prime suspect. He was the common denominator between the three colleagues and had mysteriously disappeared around the time Emily Wilson and Mike Hudson were brutally killed in the garage in Bethnal Green. Matt was already in the office, despite being the last to leave last night. Kelly recognised the look behind his eyes: hunger. He’d begin a period of twenty-hour days if he had to, and wouldn’t let up until he had answers. That was the way he operated, and Kelly had learned from him. She felt her stomach tense. He smiled broadly at his visitors and took their hands warmly, lingering on Kelly’s. She dropped her hand and looked away.

They got down to business, first discussing George.

‘His body was moved to the dump site,’ Kelly said, ‘and we have forensic evidence that someone was killed in one of the bathrooms in Allerdale House – DNA to be confirmed. That’s the same property that was burgled for some pretty expensive kit, we believe on the same day. But nothing inside the house was missing and there’s some valuable equipment and belongings in there.’

‘Do you think the burglary was connected in some way to his death?’ Matt asked.

‘Definitely, either as a bonus or planned. It could have been a smoke screen to throw us off, or the intended target; the high-end sailing market is small but worth millions. George would have been collateral damage if the burglars stumbled across him unwittingly, to prevent him raising the alarm, which would explain why they perhaps panicked and decided not to burgle the house, despite having access to both the boathouse and the main house.’

‘Do we know who had keys?’

‘The owner said that doors generally weren’t locked.’

Matt rolled his eyes.

‘Did you manage to establish motive?’ he asked, knowing that she hadn’t yet had the luxury of clarifying that one. The execution MO suggested convenience, and that usually meant money. The blunt-force trauma MO in the killing of George’s colleagues also suggested a lack of compassion seen in business-like killings.