‘Oh, thanks. That’s actually perfect.’ Sheens manoeuvred the cup out of the cardboard holder. ‘So. If it’s not a bad time, I wanted to bounce a few thoughts off you.’

Hanson sat back from her computer. ‘Fire away.’

‘There’s no way I buy Niall Reakes and Dina Weyman meeting about a job,’ he said. ‘But equally, if it was simply an affair, it seems bizarre that he wouldn’t just admit it to us, as it provides a perfect alibi.’

‘Particularly since his fake alibi relies on his ex-wife anyway,’ Hanson added.

‘Exactly. I doubt his wife would believe him about the job idea in any case, so there’s no benefit to it. Unless both he and Dina are covering up for something else that’s been going on.’

Hanson looked away, towards her screen. Her mind was grinding through this, slowly. ‘He seemed quite sure that Dina would cover for him. But then she clearly decided it was better to scapegoat him instead.’

‘Which suggests something criminal,’ the DCI agreed.

‘Niall Reakes drove to Zurich before he flew home. He booked the ticket at the last minute. As if he’d suddenly been summoned …’

The DCI gave her an odd look. ‘And he’s a drug rep.’

‘His ex-wife,’ Hanson said quickly, ‘manages a whole team of reps at another big pharma.’ The DCI met her gaze. ‘Could it be that simple?’

The chief stood, his face in a half-smile. ‘If it is, it may have nothing to do with Alex Plaskitt. Let’s bring Mr Reakes back in.’

O’Malley had finished most of his food and was feeling over-sugared, in need of a comfort break, and a little nauseous. Neither Issa nor Louise Reakes had gone anywhere, and the inside of the car was now bitterly cold. Which made it about standard for a stake-out, in O’Malley’s experience.

On the better side of things, he was now three and a half hours through his five-hour stint, and he had identified a petrol station round the corner that had a customer toilet. Naturally, he was within moments of taking a brief break when a Lotus came noisily down the road and hesitated outside number eleven. O’Malley had his camera phone out and ready, and had a clear view of April Dumont as she looked around for a space.

He took three photos and then waited as she found a spot further up the already-crowded close. She left the car half on the pavement and half hanging out diagonally into the road as she strode towards Louise Reakes’s house. But instead of going towards the door, she moved across the road. For a moment her gaze swept over his car, and he thought he’d been seen. But she walked on past him, heading for the Corsa.