No time to prepare and that was the way he’d intended it, Callanach thought.

‘I spoke to his widow in Spain. She says Western was Bruce Jenson’s old business partner,’ Graham persisted.

‘I knew his name, but I’d never met him myself,’ Callanach said.

Pax Graham was looking at Ava as Callanach responded. However oblivious Lively might have been to the atmosphere in the room, Graham was right on it, Callanach realised.

‘That’s not the best bit,’ Lively continued. ‘Every other case we’ve got running might be fucked up right now, but this time whoever cut those brakes also cut themselves. We’ve got the bastard’s blood. If they’re on the system, we’ll have them in custody within the week.’

Pax Graham wasn’t looking quite so jubilant.

‘But it’s a hire car, so any number of people might be looking under the bonnet on a regular basis. I’m guessing if we swabbed the whole engine we’d get several different DNA samples turning up. We still need to find someone with cause to want both of these men dead. The curious thing is that they’ve had no contact with one another for years. They’re not exactly close friends any more. So whatever links them is from some time in their mutual past.’

‘What’s the plan moving forward?’ Ava asked.

‘We’re going to interview Gilroy Western’s family over the telephone tomorrow and they’ve already given us permission to search his recent communications, both from his mobile and emails. Apparently, he didn’t use social media. There were no witnesses to the brakes being tampered with, which must have been overnight so not entirely unexpected. No CCTV cameras in the street as it’s residential, and it was raining. Most people out on neighbouring commercial streets had umbrellas or hoods up, so we won’t get an ID that way.’

‘Let me know when the DNA result comes in,’ Ava said. ‘Lively, as you’re up to speed on the Gilroy Western case, you can continue to work with DI Graham. I’m transferring Janet Monroe back to the Fenella Hawksmith and Osaki Shozo murders. Agreed?’

Lively and Graham nodded.

‘Unless there’s anything else, we should all be getting back to work,’ Ava added.

‘I need a minute,’ Callanach said.

‘Not a good time. I need to prepare a statement for the press,’ Ava said, sitting down and pulling a notepad out from a drawer.

‘It’s all right, ma’am, the Evil Overlord is covering that one for you,’ Lively grinned.

‘Fine. One minute,’ Ava said.

‘I’d appreciate it if you’d write an addendum statement, just to confirm you never met Gilroy Western,’ Graham said quietly as he passed Callanach. ‘Crossing the t’s given the link to Jenson.’