‘If you ever meet Tamsin perhaps you would you tell her that fact?’ He scratched his head. ‘But if I’m honest, I can see where she’s coming from.’ He gave a humourless laugh. ‘You know what some young people are like these days, full of passion and determination to save the whales, the polar bears, the rainforests, the planet! Tamsin spent all her childhood collecting orphaned animals and mending broken wings. To her, all life is sacred. Her father’s job just didn’t gel with her concepts of what made a good person.’

‘So did you give up your career for your daughter’s sake?’

‘No.’ Joseph shook his head sadly. ‘Like you, I had a bad mission.’

Nikki looked at him, her head tilted to on side. Her natural curiosity wanted to hear about it but she of all people knew when not to push.

‘Let’s just say the intelligence we were given was wrong. People died. The wrong people.’ He shuddered. ‘Afterwards, I threw my assault rifle in the river and told my commanding officer that I was going home, for good. He knew they’d cocked up and he never tried to stop me. I was given an honourable discharge. What a joke!’

‘So then you joined the police?’

‘Not for a long while. I knew I was damaged, so I went away. I travelled, then I spent a year in an ashram, and finally the healing began.’ He smiled at her. ‘Please don’t tell the messroom, but I’ve never been religious. I’ve just spent a lot of time listening to people who lead truly spiritual lives, and now I can embrace the good things in life, and try to forgive the bad ones.’

‘Oh, I wish it was that easy, Joseph! I don’t think I could ever forgive some of the bad people that I’ve come across in my life.’ Nikki closed her eyes and saw Frankie Doyle’s wicked eyes twinkle maliciously at her. ‘No, never.’

Joseph gave her a long look. ‘I never said it was easy. One day you may be surprised at what you are capable of.’ He smiled again. ‘But right now, I see the cavalry approaching.’

Nikki stood up. Across the fields, two Landrovers were churning up the fertile soil as they made their way towards them. She looked back to her sergeant. Somehow she knew that she did not have to ask him to be discreet about her panic attack.

For a moment she just stood and stared at him. For the first time in a very long while, DI Nikki Galena actually trusted someone.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

‘DO WE KNOW how she died?’ asked Superintendent Bainbridge.

Joseph bit his lip. ‘Unofficially, sir, it’s strangulation.’

The Super nodded slowly, ‘I hope they manage to get her off that marsh before nightfall.’