Jeff drove on further, following the street around in a curve, leaving the square out of sight behind them and passing a village store and a centuries-old greystone church with a graveyard before he reached a T-junction that he already knew would bring him back in a loop. He pulled up short before he reached Grace’s home, not wanting to pass it twice and attract unnecessary attention. Instead he parked the van about a hundred yards down the street, in a spot where they had a line of sight to her house and the little square in the distance behind it. The pensioner with the brown dog had shuffled as far as the park, and rested on one of the benches while the fat old mutt went off to crap among the trees.

‘Okay, Eagle Eyes,’ Jeff said, turning to Tuesday in the back. ‘What’s your assessment?’

And Tuesday told him about the watchers posted up and down the street.

Chapter 27

It wasn’t the endless hours of range training alone that had made Tuesday Fletcher such a skilled sniper. His visual acuity was 20/10, about as sharp and clear as it was possible for the human eye to see. He was also incredibly observant, with a near-photographic memory for tiny details that most people would miss.

Tuesday said, ‘I make two covert surveillance vehicles.’ He pointed. ‘First you’ve got the black Range Rover there on the left side of the street, thirty yards before her house. Smoked windows, but you can see the shapes of at least two guys inside.’

‘Roger that,’ Jeff said, nodding.

Tuesday pointed again, past Grace’s home in the direction of the square. ‘Second is the plumber’s van parked outside the public toilets. It’s not right. If someone called out a plumber to fix a leaky pipe or whatever, why would it still be there this time of the evening? Plus it’s positioned at a strange angle, so that the back windows can have a line of sight around the corner towards her house. Glass is painted over silver but there are scratches on it that you could see out of. Could be a spotting scope or binocs on a tripod lined up behind it.’

‘How many operatives you reckon on?’ Jeff asked. He had his own thoughts, just wanted to get his colleague’s take on the situation.