Their kitchen was a ‘happy mess’, as Penny called it. If it had been a crime scene, Jack thought, he’d have been able to tell everything about the occupants: the bottles of pills said ‘old lady’; the dirty babygrows on the floor said ‘newborn’; two used wine glasses said ‘couple’; dirty dishes in the sink said ‘too tired to care’; and the fridge door, with its mother-and-baby pamphlets, takeaway menus, evening class leaflets, paint palette charts, packed calendar and notepad containing numerous messages to each other, said that this was a family who were trying to do too much all at once. But there was also a lot of love in this room: the photos on the fridge showed a close family who adored each other.

While the kettle boiled, Jack leant on the back of Penny’s chair and looked at photos with her. She paused on one of Charlie, aged about 60, but still looking as strong as an ox. ‘He was the most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life.’ Penny reached back and stroked Jack’s face. ‘Second most handsome,’ she corrected. ‘I hear him at night. I lie in bed and I hear him breathing in the darkness next to me. He was such a gentle breather for a big man; you’d think he’d snore like a bulldozer, but he didn’t.’

At this intimate moment, Jack’s mobile buzzed. Without taking his attention from Penny, he read the text from Oaks:

There’s been another.

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Jack and Gifford stood in silence, watching George Barrowman pacing furiously up and down with a look of thunder on his face. ‘Three years, Joe,’ he boomed, ‘three fucking years these burglaries have been going on, and what have you got? Piles! From sitting on your arse! That’s what you’ve got.’

‘Sir . . .’ Jack started.

‘And I only want to hear from you,’ Barrowman interrupted, jabbing a finger in Jack’s direction, ‘if it’s to say, “We’ve arrested the bastards and have found your property, Mr Barrowman.” Anything less than that and I’m not interested. I work in gold in the City, so I know people in the Met, but I don’t know who the hell you are. Just write this down: three gold bars, one emerald necklace, one string of pearls, a diamond tiara and nine grand in fifties.’ George then turned his attention to Gifford. ‘You have one week, Joe. Then I’ll be bringing in my own investigators to do your job and I’ll be sending you their bill.’