Gillard was almost back at Mount Browne when the final piece of the double-murder inquiry fell into place. He was driving into Guildford when a call from the control room passed on the message that the Italian authorities had finally arrested Ray Slater at his holiday home, and he was now on a plane back to Gatwick. Gillard was keen to get his hands on Slater at the earliest opportunity and decided to join the airport police for the handover. That left him just half an hour to grab a bite at the canteen before heading off to the airport. He rubbed his hands in anticipation.

He joined a jovial queue of uniformed coppers anticipating the day’s special of cottage pie. Doubting that any would be left by the time he got there, he glanced at the Surrey Police noticeboard. The long-vacant post of assistant chief constable had finally been filled. He looked at the picture of the new appointee and gasped. It was Stella Anderson. Reading down the glowing tributes that had been paid to her, one was: ‘Detective Chief Superintendent Anderson played a key role in discovering a major water company fraud and an associated murder and abduction. Almost all the defendants are all in custody and the case is now awaiting trial.’

Gillard had plenty of experience of senior officers taking credit for the hard work of those further down the hierarchy, but this was a severe case of overreach, particularly jumping the gun on Slater, who wasn’t yet on British soil. The fraud, yes, she had played the key role in that. But catching the murderer of Ozzy Blanchard had been nothing to do with her. If he was to share the credit with anyone, it would be Thames Valley Police, not Hampshire.

DI Claire Mulholland came up to him as he was reading. ‘I didn’t think you’d be impressed by that. She’s got a nerve, hasn’t she?’

‘Radar Dobbs won’t be happy about reporting to her,’ Gillard said. ‘She’s got ambitions to sweep out the old guard.’

‘Who knows, that might include you,’ Claire said.

He turned to stare at her. ‘I’m not that long in the tooth.’

‘Yes, but didn’t you sleep with her once, back in the dim and distant?’

Gillard stared at her open mouthed. ‘I never told you that.’

‘I heard it on the sisterly grapevine. I’ve no idea who the original source was, except it must’ve been someone who was at the same conference and saw you two disappearing together. I hadn’t thought it was true until just now. Your reaction confirmed it.’

‘Yes, I’m afraid it is true.’ Gillard realised that he shouldn’t be surprised a conference room full of detectives would notice two people slipping away together.

‘Well, it’s truly come back to haunt you now, Craig, hasn’t it?’