‘Gagh. . .’ Stacey’s mouth opened wide and down, as if she’d just swallowed something bitter. ‘They are so high maintenance. A sweet couple, but just . . . completely. . .’ Stacey stopped picking and twirled a forefinger at the side of her head instead.

‘You know they’re missing? ’

‘You’re not asking the right question.’

OK. . . ‘What’s the right question? ’

‘Do I know where they are now? ’

Logan sat back in his seat. ‘And do you? ’

‘Nope.’ She went back to picking. ‘Next question.’

‘You haven’t heard from them at all? ’

A chunk of brown scab came loose, the skin beneath it pink and shiny. A dot of red oozed to the surface. ‘Of course, Anthony treated poor Agnes appallingly. She was obsessed with him and he wrapped her around his little finger. And you know what? She was just as bad.’ Stacey popped the liberated chunk of scab in her mouth and chewed. ‘Now, your next question is, “Did she know I was shagging dear Anthony at the same time?” And the answer is: of course she did. He told her.’

‘He told her? ’

‘Oh, he did more than that: Anthony arranged a three-way. Me, him, and fiery little Agnes.’ Stacey smiled at Logan, long and slow. ‘You might not think it to see me now, but I do scrub up very nicely.’

‘And Agnes was OK with that? ’

‘Well, she wasn’t really into the whole girl-on-girl part of proceedings, but she did her best. For him. And she did have a lovely little body. . .’ Stacey sighed, then popped another scab into her mouth. ‘We met up every couple of weeks after that, until Anthony got bored. Always fluttering from one thing to another is our Anthony, like a little American butterfly with Attention Deficit Disorder.’

Logan frowned. OK, right now Stacey looked as if she’d slept in a skip and smelled like the floor of a pub after a rowdy night, but under the stale alcohol haze, the smeared makeup, messy hair, and scabby knees she probably was a very attractive young woman.

‘Agnes did it to please Anthony Chung, but what was in it for you? ’

A grin lit up her face. ‘Darling, he has the most wonderful weed you’ve ever smoked in your life. And it pissed Daddy off no end that I was shagging a Chinaman.’

Maybe not so attractive.

‘Well, your dad can rest easy: Anthony Chung’s dead.’

‘Ah. . .’ The grin faded from Stacey’s face. ‘In that case, I think I will take that lawyer after all.’

DI Bell stopped in the middle of the corridor. He tightened his grip on the folder under his arm and narrowed his eyes. ‘What are you doing here? ’

‘And hello to you too.’ Logan locked his office door. Again. Second time lucky.

‘I don’t need you checking up on me, I’m perfectly capable of organizing a simple op at a soup kitchen. I was a DI long before—’