‘Okay, have it your way, but the moment he’s settled in, you go home. Understood?’

‘Perfectly, ma’am.’ Joseph opened the door and stepped out. ‘And thank you. I appreciate it.’

Nikki was met in the CID room by Cat, who was, remarkably, an hour early.

‘Something’s bugging me, Guv.’ She ran her hand through her spiked-up hair and looked earnestly at Nikki. ‘I want permission to go back to the home of Terry James, the web designer, with a search warrant.’

‘What have you found on his computer, Cat?’

‘It’s what I’ve not found, Guv. Something isn’t right and I’ve got a hunch that all is not what it seems in Rydell Street.’

Nikki looked carefully at her. It was unlike Cat to stick her neck out on a hunch, so her gut feeling had to be pretty strong. ‘Have you got enough evidence for us to convince a magistrate to sign a warrant?’

‘I believe there is a third computer in that flat, ma’am. We know that one of the ones we’ve seen has been hacked, and we assumed by an outside cyber-thief. Now I think it’s a double bluff. I reckoned they’ve set this up themselves.’ She shrugged her shoulders. ‘I don’t know quite know how to put that over to the magistrate, but IT agrees with me. The web design bit is kosher, but we suspect it’s a cover for something darker than pretty bunches of flowers and cake tins.’

‘Then I’ll do all I can to get it organized for you. And when you go, take Dave and couple of uniforms, unless you think it’s more serious than that?’

‘No, that should be fine, ma’am.’ She turned back to her computer, then paused and looked up, ‘Oh, Dave asked me to tell you he’s down in the control room, ma’am, trying to trace Lisa Jane Leonard’s last movements on CCTV footage.’

‘Right. Any news on the mask makers?’

‘I’ve got a crew checking out an old unit on a small trading estate on the outskirts of town, ma’am. I found a supplier who had delivered goods there quite a bit recently, but he reckons they’ve done a bunk, owing him a small fortune.’ Cat grimaced. ‘Which coincides nicely with my disappearing lead.’

‘Well, keep at it, and I’ll go sort out this warrant.’

Nikki went down to the front desk, got a statement typed out and signed it, then authorized a WPC to go disturb one of the local magistrate’s breakfast.

Her mobile rang just as the WPC was heading out of the station.

‘It’s Archie. Can we meet, Nikki?’

‘Hell, I’m up to my armpits! Where are you?’

‘I’ll drive down to the riverside car park. Five minutes is all I need.’