‘I gave him a great deal more detail than that.’

‘Perhaps you’d honour us with the same level of attention then,’ Gillard said.

There was no reply.

Shireen again looked down at her notes. ‘Is it not true that all this money was used to buy shares in the food delivery company Nosh2U.com?’

‘You seem to know all about it,’ Deepak replied.

‘What was the purpose of this apparently high-risk investment?’ she asked.

He sighed. ‘I was hoping to make a great deal of money for our family business, and provide some growth which, let’s face it, was never going to come through selling more Indian snacks and chutneys.’

‘So this secretive endeavour,’ Gillard said, ‘was in fact a selfless attempt to help the Roy family?’

‘I don’t think there’s any need for sarcasm, chief inspector.’ Deepak’s hooded eyes had a powerful intensity to them. ‘I have worked very hard for the Roy family. Indeed, I consider myself part of the Roy family now.’

‘Even though your wife Prisha divorced you?’ Gillard said.

‘On account of your many infidelities,’ added Shireen.

‘Oh, you’re the morality police,’ he said, smirking. He turned to the solicitor. ‘I hadn’t realised that the much-respected British legal system had debased itself into some kind of celebrity witch­hunt.’

The solicitor, so pale as to be almost translucent against the mahogany skin of the detainee, lifted one pale eyebrow, but said nothing.

‘What about your company car? The Bentley Bentayga.’

‘What about it?’ The director steepled his hands, as if nothing he was asked would trouble him.

‘According to the company policy, it not only exceeds the maximum value allowed, but you’ve also registered it in your name rather than the company’s name, even though it was company money used to buy it.’

‘Would you like to check my bus fare too, just in case I fiddled a few pence? I would contend that this is not the business of Surrey Police. My fellow directors can deal with those kind of issues.’

Gillard leaned forward. ‘Sounds good in court though, doesn’t it? Joe Bloggs on the jury doesn’t have a clue about investing in shares. But a bit of fiddling of expenses to get himself a flash car, well, anyone understands that, don’t they?’

Deepak sighed ‘I really can’t believe you hauled me off a plane to ask me this kind of question.’ He checked his watch. ‘Do you intend to charge me with any crime, or may I go?’

He began to stand, but Gillard leaned forward and rested a hand gently on the shoulder. ‘We can hold you for twenty-four hours before we have to charge you. The question I’d like to ask you now is about your mother in law,’ Gillard said.

Deepak rolled his eyes and folded his arms. ‘Here we go.’

‘Were you involved in any way in the murder of Mrs Roy?’

‘No, of course not, I know nothing about it. I thought she was a delightful woman. I think it’s awful for the family that she’s been murdered.’