Katie went to her desk, picked up a handwritten statement and gave it to Jane.

Kingston walked in carrying a coffee and a sausage roll and went straight to his office. Katie quickly followed him, then closed the door behind her and stood by his desk with her arms crossed.

‘Where did you go with Tennison last night?’

Kingston put his breakfast down on the desk.

‘I didn’t go anywhere with her – I went to the Crown to get a statement from the landlady.’

He pulled the statement out of the folder and showed it to her.

‘Then why did you leave together?’

‘I told her to go home. She got in her car then drove off in the opposite direction to me. For Christ’s sake, what’s your problem, Katie?’

‘I just thought the way you left last night was rather abrupt, especially as we’d just . . . you know. It felt as if you were more interested in her.’

He pointed to himself. ‘Me, interested in Tennison? You couldn’t be more wrong – I don’t even find her attractive.’

‘Then why are you being so nice to her?’

‘Being nice doesn’t mean I fancy her—’

‘DCI Murphy doesn’t like her.’

‘Murphy doesn’t like the fact a woman is on the Flying Squad. He sees Tennison as a liability and will do his damnedest to get rid of her.’

‘And will you help him?’

‘Look, I made a few phone calls before she came here. By all accounts she’s not a bad detective, but working on the Flying Squad is a totally different ball game from divisional work and I for one don’t think she’ll be up to it.’

‘Murphy wants me to keep an eye on her and report back to him if she messes up.’

‘Then there’s no need for me to get involved as well.’

‘As her DI you should bring her mistakes to Murphy’s attention.’

‘I know what my job is, Katie, and I’m not going to put myself on the line with Murphy by not doing it – least of all for Tennison. Now can I please finish my sausage roll in peace before the office meeting?’

‘My boyfriend’s out with his mates tonight so you could come around to mine if . . .’

Kingston frowned. ‘He nearly caught us last time I did that. I ripped my jacket climbing over your garden fence, and my wife started asking me questions about how it happened.’

‘Maybe we should tell our other halves that we’ve met someone else,’ Katie suggested. ‘Then we can openly be together and stop sneaking around – I’m tired of sex in the gym or a car.’

He obviously wasn’t expecting this.

‘We both agreed our relationship was just a fling. Besides, you only just got engaged to Brian. You don’t really want to break it off, do you?’