That was why she hadn’t questioned the garage’s authenticity the first time she’d seen it, because it wasn’t an engineered front. Whatever illegal activity was going on here, it did so behind the perfect façade of genuine trade.

Vladimir Kask was a mechanic; his business was real. But both had been hijacked by whoever owned the package still leaking fine white contraband on to the mucky tiles by her feet. But simply knowing these things didn’t move her any closer to Kowalski’s killer.

She renewed her aggression. ‘How does it work?’

Kask’s eyes searched the reaches of the office, maybe struggling for words in a second language, possibly composing a lie.

When he spoke, his tone was slow, resigned. ‘They tell me to run my garage as normal. People bring in their vehicles, we fix them, just like before, but we put prices up to minimize work. Rest of time is for drugs. All transactions are made with cash hidden inside cars, one in, one out, like conveyor belt.’

‘What about this?’ Hawkins’ eyes flicked at the package.

‘Some of the drugs arrive this way, packaged like motor parts, but large orders come from Europe, already inside cars.’ He jerked his head at the blue Fiesta. ‘We hold them here, pretend to work on engines for few days, until they tell us where to deliver. The boys drive over in pairs, leave car and come back.’

‘How far do they have to go?’

‘It changes. Sometimes hundreds of miles.’

‘Joel did this?’

‘Yes.’

Hawkins looked at the two men out in the workshop, still busy under the blue Ford. ‘And all your staff know about the drugs?’

The Estonian sighed. ‘Not at first. I still need trained mechanics, and they come here for real work, but I can’t warn them till it’s too late.’

‘How did Joel feel about it?’

His voice took on a deeper sadness. ‘He didn’t like it. None of us do, but they threaten everyone, not only me. If you don’t have family here in UK, they have friends in Estonia, too.’

‘Is it possible he tried to get out?’

‘No. Joel was scared, even more than others. He wouldn’t have done this.’