‘Come in, sit down,’ Blake said, waving expansively at a group of leather tub chairs set around a low table. ‘I do hope this hasn’t been too traumatic an experience, Dr Hill. But of course, our officers do have to follow the evidence,’ he said before they were even settled.

‘That’s what they’re supposed to do,’ Scott said, ice in her tone. ‘But not at the price of making preposterous decisions. Every fragment of circumstantial evidence against Dr Hill was readily demolished by my team within a handful of hours. Arresting him and holding him in custody was completely unnecessary.’ Blake tried to speak but she held a hand up. ‘Dr Hill is a Home Office-accredited police consultant. He’s devoted his professional career to helping police solve cases like this, for heaven’s sake. You know where he lives and works. Even if there had been solid evidence to link him to these crimes, he was never any kind of flight risk. This has been preposterous from start to finish.’ She exhaled sharply through her nose.

Blake shifted in his chair, crossing his legs at the ankles. ‘However, matters have been resolved very quickly. I hope we can put it all behind us.’ He steepled his fingers and gave an avuncular smile. ‘Then it will all die down and reputations won’t be unduly damaged.’

‘I don’t think you understand,’ Scott said. ‘We’re looking for substantial compensation here. Wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and damage to Dr Hill’s professional reputation. This is a major lawsuit, Mr Blake.’

Blake made a strangled mumbling sound. ‘There hasn’t been any significant publicity,’ he pointed out.

‘We haven’t given our side of the story yet,’ Scott said sweetly. ‘We have an extraordinary tale to tell. A man of spotless reputation is thrown in the cells on the scantest of evidence. The police are so incompetent that I have to turn to a retired officer for help. And within twenty-four hours, we civilians not only destroy the case against Dr Hill but also expose the identity of the real killer. I imagine this one will run and run across the traditional and the digital media.’

Tony sat up straight, galvanised by this unexpected turn of events. To judge by the expression of shock that had crossed Blake’s face, he hadn’t expected that line of attack either. He looked like a man staring down the barrel of the end of his career. ‘That’s a shocking distortion of the facts,’ he blustered.

‘In what respect?’

Tony could tell Blake was on the point of closing the meeting, which wasn’t what he wanted. He had an agenda of his own, and now was the time to pursue it. He cleared his throat and said, ‘There is one way to avoid a costly and embarrassing lawsuit.’