‘Would you come to my stepsister’s wedding with me?’ he asked awkwardly.

For a moment she was lost for words.

‘Sorry, I’m being stupid. Of course you’re not going to say yes – you don’t know me from Adam.’

He started to walk off. Her first instinct was to let him go. After all, it was a pretty odd thing to do – to invite someone you’d only just met to a wedding. She wondered if he was a bit simple, or just determined to prove George wrong, but then she quickly thought what a great opportunity this could be to help the team identify other associates of the Ripley brothers.

‘Go on, then. I love a good wedding. Where is it?’

His face lit up.

‘All Saint’s Church in Chigwell at three o’clock on Saturday, then the reception’s in a marquee at my stepdad’s house just up the road.’ He smiled sheepishly. ‘I don’t know your name.’

‘It’s Jane.’

‘I’m Carl. Would you like to go for a drink before Saturday? Then we could actually get to know each other a bit. Give you a chance to duck out of the wedding if you decide you don’t fancy coming with me,’ he added with a grin that Jane could see hid a touch of sadness.

‘That sounds like a good idea. OK.’

‘Do you have a number I can call you on?’

‘Er . . . I don’t have a phone – but I could meet you outside the Empire Ballroom in Leicester Square, say tonight at 7.30.’

‘That’d be great – I’ll see you then,’ he said, beaming.

As he left the cafe Jane wondered what Murphy would say when she told him.

‘Hey, Jane, what you doing?’ Nick called out, interrupting her thoughts. ‘These dirty plates won’t clean themselves.’

‘Can I just nip to the toilet?’

‘Mamma mia! Go on then.’

She closed the toilet door, then got Rachel’s notes out of her pocket.

M1 asked M2 if he had sorted the driver out for Saturday and M2 nodded. He also asked M2 if his man had spoken with the woman. I don’t know what M2 said, but M1 looked angry and said, ‘He was only supposed to put the frighteners on her.’ Then he spoke about someone called Carl and said he was a retarded wimp.

Jane suspected George was referring to a wedding car driver for Saturday, but the reference to the man putting the frighteners on a woman sent a shiver down her spine. She was sure it was something to do with Fiona Simpson. She remembered Rachel telling her that George Ripley had said to Tommy that ‘Riley’ was a loose cannon. Since Aidan O’Reilly worked for Tommy Ripley, she wondered if he was the man George was referring to. If he was, then it followed that O’Reilly was in the Crown on Saturday night.