Wolf toed the accelerator to catch up, so they could catch a view of the Bentley and the Jaguar rolling up the driveway towards the house. They’d seen the place before. It was the same fine Edwardian home that Ben and Wolf had seen pictured online, red brickwork with mock-Tudor timbers under the eaves, roof angles jutting out here and there, partly hidden by a great weeping willow tree that dominated the large, mature gardens.

‘Might as well have posted his address on Facebook,’ Wolf muttered as they cruised past the entrance, slowing just enough to get a good look at the place. ‘A very careless man.’

‘Because he has no idea we’re coming for him,’ Ben said. That was soon about to change.

A little way up the quiet road was a woodland with a winding track that led to a leisure spot with some picnic tables and a children’s play area. Wolf eased the Skoda up the bumpy track and coasted to a stop under the shade of the trees. Ben looked at his watch. It was twenty past five. Sunset was a little over two hours away. But he wanted to wait until long after nightfall before he sprang his trap on Tristan Dudley. There was nothing to do until then but bide time, conserve energy and prepare for what lay ahead. Ben racked the passenger seat back all the way and reclined into it, stretched out his legs and closed his eyes.

‘We should be watching the house,’ Wolf said. ‘What if he buggers off again?’

Ben didn’t think so. Eyes still closed he replied, ‘This has been a big day for him. Now the pressure’s off. He’s going to play the role of the dutiful husband for a while longer, until Clarissa has gone to bed with enough sedatives in her to knock her out for a week. Then he’s going to stay up late and pour himself a few drinks to celebrate his success in fooling everyone. That’s when we’ll catch him.’

‘And then?’

Ben said, ‘And then the endgame begins.’

Chapter 52

It was just gone ten-thirty that evening when Clarissa, pumped full of sedatives, unable to eat or do anything much except curl up on a settee and weep her heart out, had finally cried herself dry and started to get drowsy as the pills kicked in. Her ever-caring husband, who had been wondering just how long he was going to have to sit listening to her noise, helped her tenderly up to bed and tucked her in. He sat with her in the darkened room, holding her hand until she was fast asleep.