‘Okay?’ he turned to ask her as he flicked on the torch. ‘Hard to tell – there’re so many tracks overlaid out there – but I think another vehicle’s come by. Let’s hope it was Sophie.’

‘Luke’s vehicle’s gone,’ Tilly said, and as his words penetrated, ‘God! You don’t think there could be more of them?’ She was aghast.

He shrugged. ‘There might be. It seems a big operation – more than just a few birds involved.’

‘Matt did say something about refugees – a boat sinking somewhere. And he mentioned drugs,’ she agreed unhappily.

‘If there are and they were here, they’re gone,’ he said. ‘Maybe you should wait out here anyway, while I check—’

‘No.’ Steeling herself, she followed him in, her gaze skipping over the space where Luke had lain. It was empty. ‘He’s gone,’ she said blankly. ‘And Gerry. He was just there . . .’ She pointed.

‘It’s okay, I think.’ Connor turned his torch on a dark shape against the cave wall. ‘Sophie must’ve got here, because I can’t see the other lot bothering to wrap a body.’ He dropped to his knee and turned back the edge of the blue poly-tarp that shrouded the still form. ‘Yep. Is this your husband, Tilly?’

‘Yes.’ She looked away from the face with its blank, dead eyes, prey to a thousand mixed emotions. Those eyes had smiled at her, admired her, won her heart. Those dead hands had loved her and had held their child, and she knew every expression that face had worn. Or she had thought she did. Something snagged at her memory and she suddenly gasped, thoughts of Gerry vanishing in the cold certainty of a terrible mistake.

‘What? What is it, Tilly?’

Torchlight momentarily dazzled her as she clapped her hands to her face. ‘I think,’ she began. ‘You know when I told you Matt was up to something? It was his face, just a fleeting expression, when you said something about Constable Wilmot – that Burns was in the toilet. It bothered me then, but I forgot. It was satisfaction I saw, because it was Wilmot who had got the news. Don’t you see, Connor? He’s one of them! The crooked cops. Burns won’t get the message. If Wilmot turns up at all it’ll be on a rescue mission for Matt. That’s what he was smirking about. Just for an instant and then – remember? He stopped fighting – he never said another word, because he knows his mates aren’t going to be arrested, and that if Wilmot turns up it’s to help him.’

Connor shook his head. ‘Tilly, you’re imagining it. Wilmot was checked out pretty thoroughly and he came up clean. There’s absolutely no evidence to suggest he’s ever crossed the line.’