Branson glanced at his big, loud watch. ‘Ten to one – want to grab a quick bite before we head back to the office?’

The Detective Superintendent checked his more modest watch, too. ‘Are you thinking healthy or a carb fest?’

Branson looked wounded. He patted his six-pack midriff. ‘Healthy.’

‘But not too healthy, eh?’ Grace suggested.

They ended up, a few minutes later, perched on stools in a sandwich bar, Branson munching on a vegan wrap and Grace a tuna one with a bag of crisps on the side. Branson drank bottled water and Grace a Diet Coke.

‘Too scared to go to the police,’ Grace pondered.

‘Yep,’ Branson said, through a mouthful of food. ‘Too scared of what their partners might do when they found out. Or too scared of being on their own, on the shelf. That’s what abusive bastards do, isn’t it? They destroy their other half’s self-esteem to the point where they believe they are such rubbish human beings that no one else would ever want them. So they stay on in the relationship, in some kind of desperation, rather than risk being alone for the rest of their lives. What’s the stat? Something like the average person in an abusive relationship endures an assault thirty-nine times before going for help.’

‘That’s about it, very sadly.’ Grace tore open the bag of crisps and passed it to Branson, who shook his head dismissively.

‘I don’t eat crisps – you shouldn’t either, they’re bad for your body.’

Grace watched his friend then dig his hand into the bag and scoop out almost half the contents, shovelling them into his mouth. He grinned and raised his eyebrows.

A woman, wearing light blue earbuds, sat down on the stool to Grace’s right, placing her phone in front of her. With a sly glance, Grace could see she was listening to a talking book, Humankind. Taking a bite of his wrap, he chewed, thinking hard. Swallowing and lowering his voice, he said, ‘Eden confides about her brutal husband to Rebecca Watkins – who is clearly in a failing relationship with her own husband. They become lovers. Then, at some point, Rebecca Watkins starts a relationship with Eden’s husband. What the hell is going on here?’

‘Eden Paternoster falls in love with Rebecca Watkins,’ said Branson, his voice discreetly low, barely above a murmur. ‘She feels secure enough to leave Rebecca all her money. In the interim, Eden has been moving her assets into an overseas company controlled by nominee directors. Emily Denyer’s working on establishing who actually owns and controls that company, and I’m betting on Eden Paternoster and Rebecca Watkins.’

‘I’d bet with you. So Rebecca Watkins has pulled a flanker? Has she conspired with Niall Paternoster?’

‘That wouldn’t be the most outlandish scheme we’ve ever come across, would it, boss?’

Grace drank some of his Diet Coke. ‘No. But there’s a bit missing.’

‘What bit?’

‘The missing bit.’ He took another bite of his wrap.

Branson gave him a quizzical look. ‘You’ve gone cryptic on me.’