‘No. I’m not. Due to the delicate nature of the passenger list, there needs to be a thorough investigation to rule it out,’ Kelly said.

Andrew Harris had told her that Elaine had been briefed over the phone. Clearly this was massaging the truth a little, or Elaine hadn’t been listening.

‘You’re a detective inspector?’ Elaine asked. She eyed Kelly’s lanyard more carefully.

‘I am.’

‘And you’re in charge of this investigation? Not the Air Accidents Investigation Branch?’

Elaine knew her processes.

‘No. They’re reporting to me.’

‘I think I’ll sit down now.’

Elaine sat. Kelly remained by the window, and took off her coat, suddenly warm.

‘You were telling me how you knew Bartholomew Kennedy-Craig,’ Kelly said.

‘No I wasn’t.’

The two women eyed each other.

‘But I will. He was a toad. I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but he was. Donald liked everyone, he was a people person, and Bart was a smooth talker. He contributed party funds, but in return he expected favours.’

‘What kind of favours?’ Kelly asked.

‘It’s all in the public domain, and I gather you have full security clearance?’ Elaine asked.

Kelly wasn’t exactly sure what level of security clearance she was referring to. If it was MI6, then perhaps that was pushing it, but she knew she was on to something, and played the game.

‘Yes. It’s my investigation, I need to know everything,’ she said.

‘He was after certain things being kept out of the press – like his environment problems, for example. The conference was something Donald felt strongly about. He knew Bart ran thousands of small companies whose environmental record wasn’t great, but there are ways to keep it legitimate.’

‘Greenwashing?’

‘Exactly.’

‘Was your husband open to such pressure?’ Kelly asked.

‘I thought not, detective, but it would seem that he might have been after all. Why else would he spend the weekend with Bart? I called Vivienne, his wife. She brushed me off. She said she doesn’t know anything either.’

Kelly did a quick catch-up in her head and realised that Elaine was talking about Vivienne Kennedy-Craig, Bart’s wife, like they knew each other.

‘You’re close?’

‘No. But I thought if anyone knew why Bart was up there, she would. So, she’s either lying or he told her about as much as Donald told me.’

‘I get the impression you have your suspicions about why they were together,’ Kelly said.

Elaine looked at her and sighed.

‘How much of this is to be used in the investigation?’ Elaine asked.

Kelly realised that the woman was used to dealing with civil servants who not only massaged the truth for the public, but also decided what to feed them.

‘This is a different game to politics, Elaine. I want to get to the truth.’