“How many people knew it?”

“No idea.”

“So what did you do next, after you phoned in your order?”

“You waited until Greg came up with the stuff.”

“Up from where?”

“Leeds, I think.”

“Who was this Greg?”

“Dunno. I just knew him as Greg.”

“Go on.”

“There was this old bloke there as well, but he was always on the nod. I think it was his house.”

“Howard Stokes.”

“I didn’t know his name.”

“How did you know when the drugs had arrived?”

“Easy. It was all done over the mobile. One line. That’s why they called it county lines.”

“I know that,” said Gerry, quickly losing patience. “So, as far as you were concerned, you just phoned in your order, then went to pick it up when the delivery came, right? And you made all the arrangements through the one phone number.”

“That’s right.”

“What happened? How did it end?”

“Greg just stopped coming.”

“How long ago?”

“About a month ago. I had an order in, but he never turned up with it. Pissed a lot of people off, I can tell you.”

“Did you meet any of the other customers?”

“Not that I remember. It wasn’t like a doctor’s waiting room, you know.”

“But you just said a lot of people were angry.”

“Figure of speech. I was, so I assumed others must have been in the same boat.”

“Did you go to Hollyfield Lane after Greg stopped showing up?”

“Once. I just wanted to know what was happening, like, if they’d made alternative plans. I mean, I wasn’t addicted or anything, but you know . . . I was used to it.”

“And who did you see?”

“Just the old bloke in the wheelchair who lived there.”

“And what did he tell you?”

“That there’d been some trouble, and the line was down, but it would be up and running again soon as they sorted out some personnel and supply problems.”

“So what did you do?”

“In the end I found another bloke in Leyburn.”

“What are you taking?”

“Was. I told you, I’m off it now. Just a little coke.”

“That’s highly addictive. Are you sure you’ve kicked it?”

“I was never addicted. Just a snort now and then doesn’t do any harm.”

Gerry didn’t believe for a moment that Tyler had kicked the habit. He was too twitchy, even now. She wasn’t going to take him in, but she would pass on information about a source of cocaine in Leyburn to the drugs squad, if they didn’t already know about it.

“Was Greg the only one you ever met selling the stuff at Hollyfield?”

“Yeah.”

Gerry took out the photo of Samir and showed it to him. “Ever seen this lad?”

Tyler examined the photo. “Isn’t that the kid who got killed last week? Put in a wheelie bin?”

“That’s right.”