‘Nice to see you, Chief Inspector.’ Michael spoke as he walked towards the archway. Levy stayed still. ‘No need to ask what you’re here for.’

‘It’s always sensible to have eyes on the funeral, Mr Devlin. Freaks often turn up to see a victim buried.’

‘But you don’t think this one will, do you?’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘You’re standing too far away for a good view. And no one’s covering the Middle Temple side of the courtyard; I just walked through. So you’ve no chance of catching him, even if you did somehow manage to spot him.’

‘Maybe you’re underestimating me, Mr Devlin. I can move fast enough when I have to.’

‘I don’t doubt it.’ Michael smiled broadly. He meant every word. It was obvious that Levy kept herself fit. The unflattering suit she chose to wear could not hide her athleticism. Michael changed the subject. ‘I think I should be saying “thank you” for last night, shouldn’t I?’

‘You have your wife to thank,’ Levy replied. ‘I owed her a solid.’

‘Still, thank you. It should save me some trouble moving forward.’

‘I wouldn’t count on it. We can’t keep him longer than tonight. And he seems the stubborn sort.’

‘Also good to know. I guess I’ll have to stay alert.’

‘That shouldn’t be a problem for a man like you, Mr Devlin. You’ve dealt with worse, I’m sure.’

Something in Levy’s tone said that she was sure. That she knew more about Michael Devlin than he would like.

Michael chose to ignore it. He changed the subject again.

‘So what are you really doing here, Ms Levy?’

‘Joelle,’ Levy replied. ‘I’m on first-name terms with Sarah. No reason you and I should stay formal.’

‘In that case it’s Michael, not “Mr Devlin”.’ The only polite response. A momentary tangent. ‘And since we’re now friends, Joelle, what are you really doing here?’

Levy smiled.

‘To be honest, Michael, I was hoping to speak with Derek Reid.’

‘Why?’

‘Because he defended a man called Wisdom Penfold about sixteen years ago. Between us, Michael – and I really do mean between us – we think Penfold is good for the murders. We hoped Mr Reid might be able to fill in a few blanks for us.’

Michael recognised the name, and so he closed his eyes and thought back. He did not possess the total recall enjoyed by Levy, but he was a good second.

He had what he was looking for in moments.

‘Yeah, I remember that case.’

‘Were you involved?’

‘No. But it wasn’t long after I was Derek’s pupil. So I still had an unhealthy interest in his career. All ex-pupils do. They use it as sort of a guide to where they want to go themselves. Plus Wisdom Penfold’s an unusual name. Hard to forget.’

‘Is there anything you can tell me about the case?’

‘Not a whole lot. Derek didn’t go into specifics. But I remember that Penfold was a nasty piece of work. So yes, maybe he’s a good call on the murders. He certainly seemed capable of that level of violence.’