‘When you’re ready, I want you to tell DC Bevan the name of every address you gave De Voe. I know you can remember them all, Charlotte, because they weigh heavily on you. Charlotte, I am on your side. But I will not allow you to clam up now, because there are lives at stake. So . . . and think about this very carefully before you answer . . . are you sitting there telling me that you have nothing more to say? Are you telling me that your “what will the neighbours think” fears are more important to you than another human life? Are you telling me that you’re choosing to continue to protect Michael De Voe? Or are you going to do the right thing?’

Charlotte stared at Jack for what seemed like minutes. Bevan felt increasingly awkward, whereas Jack was more than comfortable to just stare back. Eventually, Charlotte dragged herself to her feet and retook her seat at the table. Bevan maintained the official tone of the interview: ‘For the tape, Charlotte Miles has returned to the table.’

Jack was different now and Charlotte knew it. If she didn’t play her part, he’d see her go down for whatever he could convict her of. In his way he was just as remorseless as De Voe, and she was just as trapped.

For the next three hours, Jack asked questions and Charlotte answered them. He was pleased to discover that she hadn’t accepted any kind of payment from De Voe for the information she fed to him, even when it was repeatedly offered. Charlotte took a while to get started but, once the floodgates opened, there was no stopping her. She explained how she had recommended livery stables and given advice on what sort of horseboxes could carry the weight of a quadbike and motorbike; how she had informed De Voe of all roads that had no CCTV and of all back routes into and out of target properties. She passed on information about residents’ holidays, day trips, nights away, empty rentals, as well as staffing levels and security systems. And she talked of how, each time a target was identified, the gang would recce the area for three full days before deciding whether or not to go ahead. Charlotte also mentioned how, when she’d once been talking to De Voe on the phone, he’d taken a second call. Because he’d kept her on the line, she could hear his side of the other conversation. He’d spoken about flights and about buying airline tickets so that ‘his people’ would be in and out of the country before the cops even knew what had happened. And she also heard him mention a second jewellery shop in Camden, although he didn’t mention the exact location. She said he had no problem at all stealing from rich, insured people. In fact, he regularly used the words ‘victimless crime’.