‘Pretty well,’ he’d replied. ‘Asquith has been charged with several firearms offences and we’ve been given more time to question him concerning wounding with intent, and attempted murder.’

‘So he’s still in custody?’

‘Oh, yes. And, if the Crown Prosecution Service give the go-ahead to charge him with the other things, as I think they will, he’ll probably be remanded to prison.’

‘Probably?’

‘He would only be granted bail if a judge at the Crown Court is satisfied that he is not at risk of causing physical or mental harm to himself or anyone else, and after what you told me about him wanting to kill himself prior to his arrest, that is most unlikely.’

‘How about the goons?’ I’d asked.

He’d laughed. ‘You mean the Sefton brothers. I threatened them both with a charge of murder over Gary Bremner’s death. They weren’t to know that we didn’t have any forensic evidence. In fact, we had no evidence at all, other than some circumstantial ANPR records. But they’re singing like canaries, blaming Valance for everything in an attempt to save their own skins.’ He’d laughed again. ‘So much for honour among thieves.’

‘So will they be charged with Gary’s murder?’

‘Unlikely, I’d say. I reckon the CPS will say we don’t have enough. We might just get a grievous bodily harm charge through, for Marcus Capes’s collarbone, but even that’s not certain. It’s just his word against theirs, and it seems that Capes also told his employer it was due to him falling off a horse.’

That might have been my fault, I thought.

‘How about Valance?’

‘Still in hospital. He had more surgery yesterday evening to relieve the pressure on his brain. He’s expected to survive, but none of the doctors will commit on how well he might be in the long run.’

‘Has he been arrested?’

‘Not yet, but he will be if he recovers enough.’

‘What about Chico Barnes? He’s still technically under arrest.’

‘It will be up to the CPS to decide if he’s charged, but we’re not pushing for it.’

The board changed from ARRIVED 18.07 to BAGGAGE IN HALL.

I stared at the wall right in front of me with INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS written on it in huge black letters. Marina would be just the other side of that wall, collecting her checked suitcase from the carousel.

My heart rate climbed and I couldn’t stay still. It was just like the feeling I had experienced in the minutes before leaving the weighing room to go out and ride in the Grand National—a combination of excitement and nerves, mixed together with a hefty dose of fear.

I went over and stood next to the chrome rail so I wouldn’t miss them.