Ridley remained standing as he explained that he’d signed Jack off work on medical grounds for one week. When he did come back, he’d be on desk duty for a minimum of one more week, at which point he’d have a fitness evaluation, before being allowed back to active duty. Jack, who knew all of this was coming, agreed without argument.

Then a memory suddenly surfaced, making Jack’s skin go cold. He’d forgotten about the diamond necklace! If he wasn’t allowed in the station for a week, there would be no way for him to return it to the evidence room.

Ridley squinted at him. ‘You OK, Jack? You’ve gone very pale.’

Jack frantically tried to gather his thoughts. ‘Sir . . .’ Ridley sat down to show that he was listening. ‘Sir, when I was going undercover with De Voe, I needed a way in. I needed him to trust me. And I managed to do that. That’s why he invited me to an all-expenses-paid trip to the races. Remember?’ Jack then got to the crux of the matter, before he lost his bottle. ‘I gained De Voe’s trust by offering to sell him a stolen diamond bracelet.’ Ridley’s eyebrows shot up and his mouth opened slightly. ‘I didn’t steal a bracelet specifically for that purpose, of course,’ Jack added quickly, ‘but I did borrow one that I knew was stolen.’

Jack gave Ridley time to process his confession. Jack saw the look in Ridley’s eyes and knew that he’d lost his alliance. Ridley had figured out that Jack must have taken the stolen bracelet from the evidence store, and that he had no option but to confess now, because now he needed someone to put it back for him.

Ridley then asked the one question Jack didn’t want to answer. ‘Would you have told me if you didn’t have to?’

Jack couldn’t say ‘yes’, as that would be an obvious lie. And he couldn’t say ‘no’, as that would be insulting and disrespectful.

‘My intention wasn’t to involve you at all, sir. My intention was to insinuate myself into De Voe’s life quickly because I didn’t have time for anything else.’

Ridley sat back in his chair and shook his head, containing his frustration as best he could. ‘Where’s the bracelet now?’

Jack tried to lean down to open his bedside locker, but his back instantly seized up and he flinched in pain. Ridley pulled the locker door open, fished out the rucksack and started to unzip the main compartment. ‘Front pocket!’ Jack said quickly. Ridley’s hands moved to the front pocket. He took out the diamond bracelet, stuffed the rucksack back into the bedside locker and stood up.

‘Sir . . . thank you. I never meant to put you in this position. I hope you know that.’