‘Really? We have photographic evidence showing your BMW was in the vicinity of his home at the time he was abducted.’

‘Yeah, and I visited the World Trade Center in 2001. Don’t mean I blew it up, does it?’

‘Aidan’s car was nearby too. Just too much for coincidence, don’t you think?’

‘Not really. We’re thinking of buying some land up there.’

‘Where?’

‘Amersham way.’ The moment he said it, Christopher Tickett blinked as if realising something.

‘That’s interesting,’ Gillard said. ‘How did you know it was Amersham that he lived in?’

The silence lasted half a minute. ‘One of the cops told me while I was being arrested.’

‘Och, that’s a sad wee pack of lies, the kind you get free with petrol,’ Rainy interjected.

‘Excuse me, detective constable,’ Tolliver said. ‘It is my client’s position that he was made aware of the location by an arresting officer. You’re in no position to contradict it, are you?’

‘I might well be,’ Rainy retorted. ‘As soon as we get inside his various computers and laptops recovered at the time of the arrest, we will be able to establish whether there have been any web searches for land in the area.’

‘And I shall certainly be asking the arresting officers if they mentioned where Arrowsmith lived,’ Gillard added. ‘But I strongly suspect that the only reason for your client to have this knowledge is that he acquired it as part of planning the kidnap.’

‘To what possible end?’ Tolliver added. ‘My client had no reason to be involved.’

‘We have a few ideas,’ Gillard said. ‘So, Mr Tickett, you do not deny that at the time of the abduction you were in the vicinity of the victim’s home?’

‘I don’t know exactly where he lived. The copper didn’t give me the address, just the town.’ Tickett folded his arms and leaned back with apparent satisfaction on the plastic chair, which creaked in agreement.

‘So what is it that you have against Kelvin Arrowsmith?’ Gillard asked.

‘I told you, I don’t know the guy.’

‘Aye, but you know Ozzy Blanchard, don’t you?’

‘The name is vaguely familiar,’ Tickett said.

Tolliver leaned forward. ‘Detective Chief Inspector Gillard, I think it’s very clear that my client is not in a position to answer any of your questions. It seems to me that you have no basis for holding him, so I’d ask that you release him on police bail while you continue your enquiries.’

‘No, he’s going nowhere,’ Gillard said, pressing the tape recorder to end the interview. ‘I’ve got ninety-six hours to hold him before charge, as you well know.’

Tickett was returned to the cells, but Tolliver remained. Aidan Tickett was then brought into the interview room. He looked tired and unhappy, and rubbed his hand through his short ginger hair.

‘I’m missing work because of this,’ he said.