Jack took the Underground to the police station. His ‘disguise’ was neatly contained inside a long suit cover, folded in half.

He’d been awake half the night, thinking of the best way to engage with De Voe. Looking the part was half the battle, but there was no point in just meeting the man by pretending to be a customer. Jack wanted to catch De Voe’s eye. He wanted De Voe to think that Jack was a man he needed to know. And the best way to do that was not through his legitimate business dealings.

Jack signed himself into the evidence store.

*

The Wimbledon Prowler, Damien Panagos, had been arrested and was now looking at nine years on seventeen counts of burglary. However, not all of the stolen items had been recovered, as Panagos had already had time to sell some of them on. So, the outstanding items went onto a list that dealers like De Voe would have been asked to keep an eye out for.

One such item was a seven-inch platinum and diamond antique bracelet worth around £2,500. This item had finally been found in Glasgow just one week earlier and was currently in the evidence store waiting to be returned to its rightful owner. Jack knew that De Voe wouldn’t know this and would still think the bracelet was missing. Jack pocketed the bracelet and left the evidence store – he’d return it before anyone knew it had gone.

As Jack headed down the corridor towards the main entrance, he was aware of the clock ticking. He wanted to get to the emporium as soon as possible. He also needed to get changed into his ‘disguise’, which he’d have to do in the public toilets as there was no way he was walking out of his police station looking like a rich playboy. As he walked, he ordered an Uber.

‘How’s it going, Jack?’ Behind him, Laura Wade was closing the door to a small briefing room. As Jack turned to face his partner, her eyes widened. ‘Bloody hell, I see you’ve had time to do a bit of sunbathing over there!’

Jack had completely forgotten about the fake tan. It was nothing over the top – Maggie knew what she was doing on that score – but he was certainly more golden-brown now than when he’d left. Jack laughed it off, saying that he often chose to walk instead of drive when in the beautiful Cotswold countryside. He also confirmed that the case was coming to a head and that, yes, he hoped he’d soon be returning to London, because he was really missing the family. Laura smiled. ‘I’m so happy for you and Maggie. Hannah’s such a beautiful baby.’

At the end of the corridor, Ridley briefly came into view as he paused to sign something before moving on, but for those few seconds, Laura’s attention was fixed on him.