“I’d like to see anyone prove that,” Joel pointed out. “Then he died, and I asked your advice, as the only copper I know. You persuaded me to let you look into it, but Colthorne found out about your investigation, and that’s why he’s been going at you and me. And now Sabini is involved and it’s got too much for me, so I’m giving up on the police and handing it to the Tribune.”

“That’s genius,” Challice said through a mouthful.

“No, it’s putting yourself in the firing line,” Aaron said. “You can’t do that. If you get in the papers—the things Colthorne might throw at you—”

“Are the same things he’ll chuck at me if he goes after you. I’m already in this, Aaron, like it or not. It’s just sensible.”

Aaron’s stomach was a hard knot. “Don’t. I don’t want you to do this.”

“Why not? This could work very nicely for me. I’m going to give the editor of the Tribune a whopping great scoop, and get any amount of publicity that money can’t buy.”

“Along with the full and probably hostile attention of the Metropolitan Police! Do you have any idea—”

Joel thumped his left arm on the table, which made it obvious he wasn’t wearing the prosthetic. Challice gave a slight exclamation that she suppressed almost at once.

“Yes,” Joel said, a little loudly. “Yes, I do in fact know that attracting attention isn’t always a good idea. Do you know why I was waving for attention when they shot my hand off?” He looked between Aaron and Challice. “Because we went out after a bombardment, and I had found a man who might have a chance, and I needed someone to help me get him back. Well, we needed two men as it turned out, because my stretcher-carrying days ended quite dramatically at that point, but I did get two men, and they did take him back, and he lived. I wish it hadn’t happened like it did—Christ, I do—but he’s alive, his kids grew up with a father, and we still send each other Christmas cards, so I can’t wish it hadn’t happened at all. Sometimes you just have to do the thing.”

“We all have to make sacrifices,” Aaron said. His mouth was dry. “But you’ve done enough.”

Joel opened his mouth, then shot a look at Challice. “Helen, could you possibly give us a moment?”

“I need to powder my nose,” she said promptly. “And also to find out what this yellow sauce is, and see if they’ll let me have the recipe. Do excuse me.”

“Joel,” Aaron said through his teeth as she departed.

“No,” Joel said flatly.

“No what?”