‘Did you report him to your headmaster?’

‘Yes, I finally did,’ said William, ‘but not a day goes by when I wonder if I should have turned a blind eye.’

‘But why,’ asked James, ‘when you were obviously doing the right thing?’

‘He was moved to another school the following term, and was expelled a year later for taking drugs.’

‘Were there any repercussions for you?’

‘It didn’t exactly endear me to my classmates, who labelled me a sneak and a traitor, and not always behind my back.’

‘Sticks and stones,’ said James.

‘It happened again more recently,’ said William thoughtfully, ‘when I had to investigate a fellow officer, who I’d been at police college with. We had reason to believe he was accepting backhanders from a local drug baron on his patch. In his case stones were involved.’

‘Were you able to come up with enough evidence to arrest the subject?’

‘More than enough. He’s now serving a long prison sentence, which once again hasn’t endeared me to my colleagues, but if you’re still thinking about doing this job, you can’t make one rule for your friends and another for those you don’t know or, worse, don’t like.’

‘I’ll make an appointment to see my headmaster first thing in the morning,’ said James, ‘and tell him my misgivings.’

‘Misgivings aren’t proof,’ William reminded him, ‘but it will certainly test his moral compass, especially in this case.’

‘Why especially in this case?’ enquired James.

‘The future of two boys is involved, and their whole lives will be affected by your headmaster’s decision. However, do let me know how it turns out.’

‘I will, sir, but for now I’ll let you get back to Mr Plod, because Beth tells me he was about to arrest the real criminal.’

‘Yes, and that also has a surprise ending. But one more question before you go, James: should I assume you’ve also been offered a place at Harvard?’

‘Yes, sir. I won the John Quincy Adams open scholarship.’

‘Now there’s a man who wouldn’t have turned a blind eye.’

• • •

‘Anything I should know following your trip to Paris?’ asked The Hawk.

‘Ross somehow managed to get through the funeral, but I’m a bit concerned about something he said to me after the service.’

‘Enlighten me.’

‘I wrote down his exact words while I was in the taxi back to the Gare du Nord.’ He opened his notebook. ‘“You won’t be seeing me for a few days. I have some scores to settle. I’ll be back once I’ve dealt with them.”’

‘Scores to settle can only be Faulkner,’ said The Hawk. ‘Any ideas about what he’s got planned for the next few days?’

‘I think he intends to kill Roach.’

‘And who can blame him?’ mumbled the commander under his breath.

‘But that won’t be easy, even for someone with Ross’s particular expertise,’ said William, ignoring The Hawk’s comment.

‘Don’t forget he spent four years in the SAS, four years with the murder squad, and has been undercover for the past three. There can’t be many people better qualified to kill someone.’