‘Good morning, Miss Browne,’ he answered pleasantly, ‘an unfortunate coincidence, this.’

‘Yes, isn’t it?’ I responded, trying to sound bright. The inspector was being very formal. Whatever had happened to ‘May I call you Juno?’

‘Kate, be a love and make me a cup of tea.’

Kate rolled her eyes meaningfully, as if to convey silently that she couldn’t leave her post. I ignored her. Unable to think of a reason why not to, she reluctantly moved away and filled the kettle. ‘Camomile?’ she asked.

‘What a disgusting suggestion,’ I shuddered. ‘Ordinary tea, please, and a couple of aspirins, if you’ve got them. Proper ones.’

‘Your head is troubling you?’ the inspector asked.

‘It’s a bit tiresome.’

‘Then I won’t keep you any longer than I need. Have you discovered if anything from your flat is missing?’

‘I looked first thing this morning. No, there isn’t.’

‘Detective Constable DeVille reports that you’re convinced your attacker was not one of the Russians that we are searching for following Mr Nickolai’s murder.’

‘I’m sure I would have recognised either of them, even in a mask. I don’t suppose there’s been any progress in finding them?’

‘Sadly not.’ Inspector Ford shook his head. ‘So, as things stand, there’s no evidence to suggest that there’s any link between the incident last night and the murder of Mr Nickolai.’

‘You don’t subscribe to Kate’s theory, then?’

He looked blank. ‘I didn’t know that … er … Kate … had a theory.’

‘She thinks that Mr Nickolai’s murderer was searching for something,’ I explained, ‘and having failed to find it on the night of the murder − whatever it is − has pursued it here.’

Kate was nodding enthusiastically as she put down a mug of tea and a bottle of aspirins. ‘That’s what I said.’

He surveyed Kate thoughtfully for a moment and then turned to me. ‘But you don’t think so, Miss Browne?’

I shook my head and then wished I hadn’t. I tried to open the bottle of aspirins but my fingers were trembling and the childproof cap clicked irritatingly round and round. ‘No, I don’t. Why would Nick’s killer think that I had what he was looking for?’

Inspector Ford didn’t answer. Instead he gave me one of his long, steady stares and then took the bottle of aspirin out of my hand. ‘On the whole, you don’t seem to be as upset about this incident as I thought you would be.’ He opened the bottle with an ease that made me feel foolish.

‘Really?’ I stared back innocently. He knew I was holding out on him, that I knew more than I was saying.

He held my gaze for a fraction longer, then gave a soft laugh and handed me back the bottle. ‘I understand congratulations are in order.’

I frowned. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand.’