I pursed my lips. ‘I’ve been a taxi driver for quite a few years,’ I said. ‘And people like to chat. Maybe it’s rubbed off.’ I grinned. ‘That, or I’m supremely talented.’

Winter smirked as if the idea were ridiculous and I punched him in the arm. He yelped, startling the first interviewee who almost backed out of the room again.

‘Come in, come in!’ I called out cheerfully. ‘I’m just beating up my associate.’

The woman shuffled into the room, throwing me a wary glance. She sat down on the chair in front of us, perching on the edge in case she had to make a run for it. So much for my winning ways.

I knitted my fingers underneath my chin and relaxed. ‘Hi.’ I checked the sheet. ‘Bethany.’

‘Hi,’ she responded.

I thought about how to start. Given how many names there were on the list, and that I wanted to get home again before the next millennium was up, I decided there was no point in beating around the bush. ‘Have you ever stolen anything for Adeptus Diall?’

Shock rippled across her face. ‘What? I … what? No!’

‘What was the last thing he asked you to do?’

‘Make him a cup of coffee.’

I leant forward. ‘How did he take his coffee?’

‘Three sugars.’ She stared wildly at Winter as if praying he would rescue her. He didn’t.

‘You may go now,’ I said, dismissing her.

‘But…’

‘Go! Shoo!’ I waved her off. ‘Send in the next one.’

As soon as she left the room, Winter leant across to me. ‘Ivy,’ he said patiently. ‘The reason I said you could take the lead is because you’re nice to people. It encourages them to tell the truth. I don’t think the approach you just used is going to do that.’

‘We’re on a clock though, aren’t we? We need to find the missing Cypher Manuscript before whoever’s taken it grasps all of its magic.’

He looked at me suspiciously. ‘Is that the only reason?’

‘Of course!’ I smiled innocently.

‘Why did you ask her how Diall takes his coffee?’

‘To see whether she was lying or not. The devil is in the detail. She didn’t hesitate. She’s nothing more than a coffee flunky.’ I amended this slightly. ‘At least as far as Diall was concerned.’ I paused. Hang on a second.

The next witch was edging into the room. I held up my hand and he halted in mid-step. ‘Bring Bethany back.’ He didn’t say a word but turned on his heel and did as I asked.

‘Actually,’ I murmured in an aside to Winter, ‘this power thing is kind of fun. If we get Volume 9 back maybe I should keep it for a while. It’s not as if you lot can look after it safely.’

Winter tutted as Bethany, looking more nervous than before, came back in. ‘Sit down, please,’ I told her.

She did as I asked. ‘What is it?’

I leant forward. Bethany leant back. ‘I’m going to assume that you make coffee for a lot of people in this office.’