The Oxford livery stables were in darkness by the time Mason’s car pulled up across the uneven driveway. Lee had returned to their Thames Valley Police Station on Abingdon Road, to get his DCI and local councillors up to speed, which told Jack all he needed to know about where Lee’s priorities lay; placating the elite was clearly more important than making sure Mulhern was safe and then laying a trap at his livery stables to be triggered by the gang when they returned the horse trailer in the dead of night.

The fifty-minute drive to just past Abingdon in Oxfordshire had been deathly silent. Jack and Lee had clearly not got off to the best of starts, which irked Mason who hated any kind of confrontation within his team. He’d decided that the best way to handle the tension was to say nothing.

Mason had just received a phone call from Lee to say that a patrol car had attended Mulhern’s livery stables less than an hour ago and had been unable to get an answer. But all was quiet, and the house was secure, so he was probably out. Lee’s insinuation that they were on a wasted trip didn’t allay Jack’s fears that something could be very wrong.

Mason knocked loudly on the front door to Mulhern’s home for the third time. ‘Looks like uniform was right,’ Mason shrugged. ‘He’s just out. It’s all good.’

Jack peered in through the lounge window for signs of life as Mason headed towards the stables just across the yard. Jack shielded his eyes from the glare of the security light. ‘There are coats and boots inside the front door.’ Jack shifted position, so he could see the other end of the lounge. ‘There’s a half-eaten sandwich on a plate perched on the arm of the sofa. And a mug of tea on the floor. Not touched by the looks of things.’ On the kitchen table was a carrier bag, rolled down to reveal a potted plant inside. Although partly obscured, Jack could just make out the business logo on the side of this bag: the word ‘Miles’ intertwined with leafy graphics. Charlotte Miles again.

Jack turned to share his discovery, but Mason was standing frozen in place, staring in through the open top half of a stable door. Jack moved swiftly to his side.