Bernadette put the photographs on the desk and said in friendly fashion: ‘You can keep these, I have plenty of copies. Now, what do I want you to do? I want you to go and see your cousin, the Lord Chief Justice, who happens to be closely related to the Home Secretary through marriage. A brother-in-law isn’t he? What a coincidence. I want you to tell him that these photos are going in the Daily Mirror, and the News of the World, the People. In fact, anywhere I can get them that will do you all the most damage. Do you get my drift, Peter old chap!’

He felt the sting of tears. He was himself, nowadays, the Member of Parliament for Rochford East and Shadow Defence Secretary, yet these few photos could blight his life and bring disgrace on his family. Briony Cavanagh was willing to bring up all the old trouble that he had so conveniently forgotten after his father had bought him out of the biggest scrape of his life.

He watched the woman walk to the door. As she turned she said as an afterthought: ‘Before I forget, you’ve got forty-eight hours.’

With that parting shot, Bernadette left the room, leaving Peter with his photos and his conscience. And a clear picture of a young man bound and gagged and with his throat slit like an animal’s.

Heidi, scrubbed now from head to foot and wearing a tweed skirt and a scratchy sweater, looked in shock at the woman before her. Mariah looked so out of place in this little room with its electric fire and nylon curtains. She looked too big and far too outrageous to be in a place so conservative.

Mariah spoke again.

‘So what you’re telling me is you came for a bit of trouble like, is that it? You thought you’d quickly make a couple of bob and fuck off? But you didn’t have what Limmington wanted so he made a point of doctoring your statement to suit him?’

Heidi nodded fearfully.

‘That’s about the strength of it, yeah. I was so hard up, Mariah. I had nothing...’

She put up her hand for silence.

‘Don’t give me all your old fanny. You could have come to me or Briony, we’d have seen you all right, we always see our old girls all right. Well, you’re going to tell a lot of people about Limmington’s skulduggery, and you’re going to be well paid for doing it.’

Heidi’s eyebrows shot up with interest.

‘Yeah, that’s right. You’re going to get a good drink. Enough to keep you pissed for the rest of your natural. But one stipulation. You disappear once it’s all over.’

‘Oh, don’t worry, I will. All this is getting on my tits now.’

Mariah looked down at her own ample breasts, straining to escape from a lurex dress, and grinned.