‘It’s got nothing to do with that.’

‘Course it has. With you, it comes back to pussy every time. Remember how the Brazilian conversation started? You were speculating about the Snowman’s daughter. How about I tell him that?’

Sellers slumped against the door. He knew when he was beaten.

Gibbs grinned. ‘It’s not a problem—I’m used to it. All you need to do is remember you’ve got no claim to thinking you’re better than anyone else and we’re sweet. Now give me back my fucking phone.’

‘Where is she?’ DS Coral Milward knocked her rings against the underside of the table. ‘I’ve left her two messages. She’s not got back to me.’

‘She mentioned something about an art gallery,’ said Simon. ‘Where’s DC Dunning?’

Milward’s eyes dipped at the mention of his name. ‘He’s not looking round White Cube, that’s for sure.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Why don’t you ask Sergeant Zailer? She’s an art lover, apparently. ’

‘Dunning not into art?’

‘I wouldn’t know.’

‘Is it the aftershave?’ Simon asked.

‘I’m sorry?’

‘Your antipathy towards Dunning.’

Milward pulled her thick arms out from under the table and folded them. The knocking sound stopped. She was wearing a new shirt since this morning, with pearl cufflinks. ‘So the rumours are true,’ she said. ‘I’d heard that overstepping the mark is your speciality.’

‘I’m on your side, for what it’s worth. You smile more. And stink less.’

‘Don’t fuck me about, Waterhouse. Is your fiancée’s art gallery jaunt this afternoon connected to my case?’

‘You’d have to ask her.’

Milward leaned forward. ‘We know Aidan Seed used to be an artist. He was a bright young thing, had a successful exhibition, then jacked it in. Why? Most people don’t deliberately balls up promising careers. Present company excepted.’

‘I’ve no idea.’

‘Trouble is, I don’t believe you.’

Simon shrugged. ‘Your problem.’

‘Saul Hansard didn’t know either. Him I did believe.’

‘Why would Seed have confided in Hansard?’

Milward let him see that she was debating whether or not to tell him. She made him wait a few seconds for her answer. ‘Seed was working as Hansard’s assistant when he had his one and only exhibition in London. Also when he decided to stop painting and take up framing.’

‘Seed worked for Hansard?’ Simon frowned. ‘Ruth Bussey worked for Hansard before she worked for Seed.’

Milward seemed to be waiting for him to continue.

‘Mary Trelease used to have her work framed by Hansard.’

‘Not while Seed worked there. Later. Later still, she switched to a London gallery, the same one that hosted Seed’s solo exhibition in February 2000: TiqTaq, on Charlotte Street. That’s where Zailer is now, am I right?’

‘Think you’d have got as far as you have without our help?’ Simon asked her.