Oscar couldn’t have wasted any time after leaving Lily’s cottage, because Denham had been on DCI Jordan’s doorstep before she’d even arrived this morning. Threatening to file harassment charges: his own, Oscar’s, Lily’s. Jordan suspected they were empty threats for the most part, but it was enough to derail the investigation and put Tyler well and truly in the firing line. The worst thing was, he’d been on his way to Jordan’s office to come clean when she called. Maybe it wouldn’t have made any difference, but if she’d just heard it from him, instead of Michael bloody Denham . . . It might have saved their friendship at least, if not his career.

He suspected Doggett and Jordan were at risk, too. If the superintendent had anyone else to take over the investigation, they’d both be joining him in the doghouse. They might still.

“Fuck,” he says.

“That pretty much covers it.”

Tyler shakes his head. “No, it doesn’t make sense. How could he know I’d get the case?” But even as he asks the question he finds the answer. Sally-Ann. A few carefully worded questions about who handles cold cases in the department. He wonders which came first the night the two of them met, Oscar’s revelation to Sally-Ann about his sexuality or Sally-Ann’s mention of her “friend” in CID. Could Oscar really go that far? Sleep with someone? Pretend to be . . . something he isn’t just to get away with murder? Perhaps. People have done far worse for less.

He shakes his head again. “What about the fire watcher?”

Doggett heaves his shoulders up. “Who knows how unhinged he is? Or maybe we were wrong; maybe the fires aren’t connected.”

Tyler shakes his head. “You’ve read that blog. It’s the same village. We’re talking about a place where the last crime reported was someone failing to register in the Domesday Book. Come on.”

Doggett acknowledges the point with another shrug. “Well, maybe it’s not connected in the way we think.”

“What about Thorogood? Why would Oscar kill him?”

“Maybe it was an accident? Or maybe the vicar had something on him.” But the doubt is creeping into Doggett’s voice. Too many maybes. He looks at Tyler closely. “We’re bringing him in anyway. Jordan wants to show him and Denham their threats aren’t going to shake us.”

“You’re wrong,” he tells Doggett. “Not about the money maybe, but about the fires. It was the discovery of Gerald’s body that set the arsonist off. The two things are linked in some way. You need to follow that blog.”

Doggett nods. “I’ll keep it in mind. Speaking of which, how’s your friend getting on with tracing the Internet thingy?”

“I’m not sure,” he admits. “We’re not really talking at the moment. You’ll have to follow it up with her yourself.”