Kelvin Arrowsmith resided in one of the best streets in Amersham. Finding the exact location in this secluded tree-lined avenue might have been tricky had Gillard not been guided towards the flashing blues of a half-dozen Thames Valley Police vehicles. The house was a new-build, accessed on a private drive squeezed between 1930s mock-Tudor detached homes. Gillard left his Vauxhall on the street, and after signing in with a uniformed officer at the perimeter of the crime scene tape, made his way up the laurel-lined driveway to the house. It was a typical executive-style home: a small wooden portico, a double garage, and detached – but only just. This second rank of new homes had all been built in the large gardens of the older houses, which had a street frontage. Apart from the police presence, there wasn’t much here to indicate any kind of crime had been committed.

Detective Chief Inspector Eddie Nowak emerged from the front door to greet Gillard. He was youngish and prematurely bald, with metal rimmed glasses. After introductions, Nowak said: ‘Two masked men abducted Arrowsmith at approximately eight twenty p.m. No one saw them arrive, and they left with Arrowsmith in his own Range Rover, which we’ve already found abandoned and burned out on farmland ten minutes away. Mrs Francesca Arrowsmith was tied up, but otherwise unharmed.’

‘Was she able to give a statement?’

‘Yes, a brief one. She says her husband had only been home from work for fifteen minutes, and was in the shower. She was watching TV when someone came into the room, and she assumed it was her husband. But it was some guy in overalls and a ski mask, who grabbed her, put a hand over her mouth, blindfolded her and tied her up.’ Nowak looked down at his iPad, where the statement had been recorded. ‘She then heard a disturbance, which indicated her husband was being beaten up.’

‘Could she distinguish any voices?’

‘No. All she heard was her husband begging for his life, and crying “No, no, no.” Then the front door slammed, and she heard the car being driven away.’

‘It sounds like whoever it was was lying in wait for him, having broken in earlier,’ Gillard said.

‘Yes. Seems fairly professional,’ Nowak said. ‘There is CCTV from next door which covers part of the drive, but because of the height of the hedges all it shows is the departing Range Rover. We’ve gone back two hours on the recording and there’s nothing else to see. Mrs Arrowsmith was able to shuffle to a phone and raise the alarm within a few minutes.’

‘Any contact with Arrowsmith’s employer?’

‘We rang them. They’re in full panic mode.’

‘I assume you’ve imposed a news blackout?’

‘Yes. If there’s a ransom demand we need to be able to deal with it without reporters breathing down our necks. Aqua Western are desperate to keep this quiet too.’