“I’ve been there,” Banks said. “Strange place.” He remembered Sarandë. He had been on a Dalmatian Coast and Greek Island cruise with Sandra years ago, and they had docked there to visit some nearby Roman ruins. What he remembered most of all was the approach from the sea—the tall buildings, and how the closer you got, the more you could see that they were empty—that you could, in fact, see right through the holes where the windows and walls should have been. It was hard to work out whether they were unfinished or had been shelled. He also remembered the town square littered with rubbish and the groups of men sitting around roasting a whole pig, then out in the countryside the isolated cottages, like fairy-tale witch houses with strange effigies nailed to the doors to ward off evil spirits. It had been like stepping back in time, at least as far back as a sixties Hammer horror movie. “OK,” he said. “Sorry for interrupting. Go on.”

“Remember, Blaydon’s got a place on Corfu, and it’s just across the water. Even back then, Blaydon was throwing lavish parties on his yacht to impress any celebs and major players passing through, and Gashi was his coke contact. Strictly third division back then, but he’s gone up in the world since. There’s also a rumor that Gashi helped Blaydon get rid of his partner, Norman Peel. Apparently Peel didn’t like the drugs and the Mafia connection, and he was ready to blow the whistle. But Gashi’s no longer involved on a day-to-day basis. He doesn’t like to get his hands dirty anymore. He has a host of minions to do that for him now.”

“Minions like Blaydon?”

“I’d say Blaydon’s a bit higher in the hierarchy than that, guv,” said Gerry. “His value is most likely in areas other than muscle. He’s not without political and judicial influence, and if he has people working for him on the inside, especially police officers . . .”

“I see what you mean. The Albanian takeover could upset a few people who’ve already invested heavily in those routes. Locals.”

“It could,” said Gerry. “And it has. According to my contact on the drugs squad, we don’t exactly have a gang war on our hands, not up here at any rate, but there are a few scuffles on the sidelines, people getting elbowed out of the way, mostly the Leeds dealers. Several hospitalizations, a couple of fatalities.”

“I’ll have a word with DCI Blackstone.”

“These days the Albanians can supply a purer product at a cheaper rate,” Gerry went on. “What’s not to like about that?”

“What about our dead boy? Anything on who he might be yet?”