“Same as everyone.”

She lights the cigarette and takes a long drag, closing her eyes as though savoring the smoke that fills her lungs. She leaves the cigarette clamped between her lips and breathes out around it. She takes the coffee cup back from him. “Humor me.”

He considers for a moment. “Big shot in the nineties, financial whiz kid with his fingers in lots of pies. Disappeared six years ago, prompting some rumors about his possible involvement in organized crime. It was a bit of a scandal.”

She barks out a sharp laugh as she exhales, blowing smoke into his face. “As always, Adam, magnificently understated.” She takes another fortifying drag. “Cartwright was into everything, and I mean everything. Banking was only his bread and butter. He liked to diversify. Property, transport, the stock market. He owned and operated a chain of restaurants, a local brewery, two golf courses, a stud farm, and a newspaper. When he disappeared he’d just begun negotiating to buy a Premier League football team.”

“Yes,” he says, “it might have helped them stay up.”

Jordan glances at him as though he’s missed the point. “He was also extremely charming. He went to Eton but was as happy talking to the office cleaner as to the prime minister. He counted a host of the rich and famous among his closest friends, including at least one peer of the realm. He knew everyone, and everyone certainly wanted to know him. I met him myself a couple of times.” She pauses and takes the cigarette from her mouth. “Whether or not this body turns out to be Cartwright’s, this case is going to receive an unprecedented amount of attention.” She takes one last deep puff on the cigarette and then, despite the fact it’s only half finished, throws the butt on the ground. She pushes down on it with a scuffed shoe, and he watches the brilliant orange spark flare and fade away.

“Ma’am, with respect, it’s not standard practice to allow the original investigating officer to pick up where he left off six years after the case was shelved. Jim Doggett had his chance. This is a cold case review now and as such falls under my remit. I only want to help—”

“No, you don’t,” she says, cutting him off. “You want to solve the case before breakfast and rub everyone else’s nose in how clever you are.”

He opens his mouth but can’t think of a response to that.

“You overcompensate, Adam. You always have. Always so much to prove. Well, contrary to popular opinion, I do have other officers, several of them fairly competent.”

“Again, ma’am, with respect, DI Doggett—”

“DS Tyler, prefacing your remarks with the words ‘With respect’ does not alone make them respectful.”

He swallows what he wants to say and settles for “No, ma’am.”

She pauses again, her hand fidgeting as though she regrets throwing away the cigarette so quickly. “What did I say to you the day I gave you this job?”