Jack stiffened as he realised that De Voe was testing him. It was Jack’s move and there was only one thing he could do. He forced himself to relax and gave De Voe a casual smile, shrugging his shoulders. ‘I’m not a man to trust easily, Mr De Voe. But I feel that you and I understand each other, so I’m happy to leave the bracelet with you. I don’t need a receipt . . . it’s not like I don’t know where to find you, is it?’ he said with a just a hint of menace. Jack left without another word.

Outside the emporium, he made a quick phone call: ‘Are you free to meet?’

*

When Mason glanced up from his desk, more than an hour later and noticed that Lee was not back in the squad room, and wasn’t pacing the car park either, he started to wonder if DI Lee might have done something rash, and went to look for him. He found him in the canteen nursing a cappuccino and still reeling from his conversation with Hearst.

‘We should bring Charlotte Miles in,’ Lee said. Mason did not let his worry show. ‘I just called her and she’s ignoring me. She’s picked that annoying little habit up from Jack Warr. We need to bring her in, brief her and get her into protective custody, exactly as we should have done in the first place. Then we’re in control. And when De Voe calls, we can guide the conversation instead of leaving it in the hands of some bloody gardener.’

Mason drew on their years of friendship to steer Lee back on track. ‘Eamonn, if De Voe suspects anything, we’ll lose them all. He won’t take any risks. And, this close to the equestrian event, he’ll have people here already. What if one of them has eyes on Charlotte? We could put her in danger.’

‘She could put us in danger!’

‘Coerced or not, let’s not forget that she’s a home invader and she’s responsible for aiding and abetting scores of burglaries, one of which led to the death of a dog and another to the severe beating of an autistic lad. And she’s responsible for the death of Jacob Mulhern!’