‘I don’t see why not. If he’s coming to work for us, he might as well get started. His phone number’s on the file. Tell him to report in straight away. No excuses.’

A slight, acid smile burned the edges of Brady’s mouth and he turned away with his small triumph. As the door closed, Grant lit another cigarette and walked to the window.

A good man, Jack Brady. Solid, dependable. Give him an order and he’d follow it to the letter which was why he was still a Detective Constable, would be till the day he retired.

But Miller was something different. Miller and his kind were what they needed – needed desperately if they were ever to cope with a situation that got more out of hand month by month.

He went back to his chair, stubbed out his cigarette and started to work his way through the mountain of paperwork that littered his desk.

3

The houses in Fairview Avenue were typical of the wealthy town dweller. Large without being mansions, each standing remotely in a sea of green lawn. The knowledge that Nick Miller lived in one of these did nothing to improve Jack Brady’s temper.

Four Winds was at the end, a late-Victorian town house in grey stone with a half-moon drive and double entrance. Brady drove in, parked his old Ford at the door, got out and rang the bell.

After a while, the door was opened by a slim, greying man of about his own age. He had sharp, decisive features and wore heavy rimmed library spectacles that gave him a deceptively scholarly air.

‘Yes, what is it?’ He sounded impatient and Brady noticed that he was holding a hand of cards against his right thigh.

‘I’m from the Police Department. I’ve been trying to get hold of Detective Sergeant Miller, but I can’t seem to get any reply. Is your phone out of order?’

The other man shook his head. ‘Nick has his own flat over the garage block at the back and a separate phone goes with it. As far as I know, he should be in. I’m his brother – Phil Miller. You want him for something?’

‘You could say that.’

‘I thought he was on leave till next Monday?’

‘So did he. Can I go round?’

‘Help yourself. You can’t miss it. The fire escape by the main garage door will take you straight up.’

Brady left him there, went back down the steps and followed the gravel drive round the side of the house to a rear courtyard illuminated by a period gas lamp bracketed to the wall above the back door.

The sliding doors of the garage were partially open and he went in and switched on the light. There were three cars parked side by side. A Zodiac, the famous E-type Jaguar and a green Mini-Cooper.