Irving smiled thinly. ‘It’s not my word we have to consider, Sergeant. Ballistics have made a close enough match to the bullet removed from the victim’s cranium to be reasonably sure this was indeed the murder weapon. It was a bit touch and go, apparently, given the state of the bullet, but modern science will usually find a way.’

Mickey pursed his lips and nodded. Disappointed that Martin’s “unrecognisable bullet” theory had apparently been proven to be nothing better than sales patter.

‘The firearm being presented in evidence here was recovered in the course of a raid on a known firearms dealer. Under the auspices of Operation Broom.’

Mickey nodded again. Guessing that Broom was the sort of major initiative that was kept under duck’s arse levels of security. Until the time came for a series of doors to be smashed in at 05.00 one morning. Keeping the knowledge that gun dealers were being tagged and set up for simultaneous arrest to the favoured few. Wisely, given the tendency for bent coppers to provide warnings to the criminal underworld. And, of course, dawn raids were media-friendly to boot. Op Broom doubtless just about to be the subject of a major Clarion exposé. “Dealers in death”, or some such. And right up Jasmine Chen’s career path, given her responsibility for Specialist Operations.

Jasmine butted in. ‘The dealer in question was talking before we could get the interview recorder started.’

Her interruption drew an unreadable sideways glance from Irving. Her poorly concealed smirk flashing like searchlights from her eyes. Mickey guessed that it was her supervision of Broom that had given her the right to attend the interview. Given she effectively owned the evidence.

‘And he was very quick to name an associate of his as having borrowed this pistol. On the morning of the 17th of April, funnily enough. A favour to a “fellow professional”, apparently. And the fellow professional he named was previously unknown to us. A man called Martin Hyde. Does that name ring a bell to you, Sergeant Bale?’

No point in lying.

‘I went to school with a Martin Hyde. I don’t recall him wanting to be an arms dealer when he grew up though. And what he ended up doing for a living was a bit more down to earth. But presumably you already know that?’

‘Yes, Sergeant, we do.’ Irving retaking control of the interview. Jasmine coiling back into her chair, temporarily at least. ‘Martin Hyde worked as a local authority refuse collector. And seems, on the face of it, to have lived a blameless life. No abnormal financial patterns in his bank account…’

No, Mickey thought. Martin always having been cute enough to keep his business funds completely separate. Under a different name and identity, of course.

‘And presumably you arrested him and searched his flat? Did that shed any light on this gun dealer’s accusations?’