He nodded. ‘I’ll wait in the canteen at Chigwell nick. Call me when you want picking up.’

He handed her the station phone number.

*

The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky as they pulled up on the road outside the church. Jane saw Carl outside, anxiously pacing up and down the gravel path. He had a top hat in his hand and was wearing a black and grey morning suit. As soon as he saw her he smiled broadly and waved.

‘You look gorgeous, Jane,’ he said as he helped her out of the cab.

‘Thanks. You look very elegant in your suit.’

She winced as if feeling a sudden sharp pain.

‘You all right?’ he asked, looking concerned.

‘It’s just a bad stomach cramp.’

‘Is it something you ate?’

‘No, it’s just that time of the month.’

He looked embarrassed. ‘Oh, right, I see . . .’

‘Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll go away.’

‘We’d best go into the church. Tina will be here soon.’

She followed him inside, feeling bad that she was lying to him about period pains, but she needed to lay down an excuse she could use later. Carl escorted her down the aisle to the front row on the left. It hadn’t crossed her mind that he would want her to sit next to him and his family. He introduced Jane to his mother, Maureen. She shook Jane’s hand limply.

‘Pleased to meet you, darlin’. My Carl can’t stop talkin’ about you. He was right, as well – you’re a real looker.’

Jane sat at the end of the pew and a minute later she felt a tap on her shoulder, making her jump. She turned around and saw a smiling Tommy behind her with the much younger Maria Fernandez, who was wearing a red dress with a low cleavage that showed off her full figure.

Tommy whispered to Jane, ‘Thanks for coming, luv, you’ve made Carl’s day. I’ve not seen him as happy in a long while. This is Maria, me girlfriend. Maria, this is . . .’ He paused, awaiting a reply.

‘Jane. Pleased to meet you, Maria.’

As they shook hands, Jane recognised Graham Smith and Aidan O’Reilly from the surveillance photographs. They were sitting in the row behind Tommy. O’Reilly still had visible signs of the cut to his forehead, but he also had a rash all over his face, which he was rubbing with his hand.

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of the organ playing Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’ and everyone stood up. Jane thought Tina looked beautiful in her wedding dress, though she felt nothing but contempt for George Ripley when she saw him. She wondered if Tina knew what her father was really like, and how the proceeds of crime had probably paid for her extravagant wedding.

*