‘They think the gang they’re following is going to hit a jeweller’s in Chingford next week, so we’ll all be needed if that’s a goer. I’ll let you know when I hear more, but they’ve got enough to be getting on with.’

*

Waiting for Kingston to finish his meeting with Murphy, Jane phoned Barclays Bank to speak to the manager, but there was no answer. It was nearly 4.30 p.m. and she suspected the bank must have closed and the staff had gone home. Next, she contacted ITV and asked to be put through to the office that produced Shaw Taylor’s Police 5. They were very helpful and said the best they could do was to give the robbery a voice-over mention at the end of the show next week, as they had other cases that had been filmed and were ready to go on air. Jane thanked them and said she would speak to her DCI and get back to them.

She then phoned Leytonstone Police Station and spoke to the duty sergeant. He said that the house-to-house enquiries at Edgar House were still ongoing; there was no important information to relay to her and they hoped to be finished by 6 p.m. Jane said she would try and collect the completed forms later in the evening, or the following morning.

She sat at her desk checking the completed house-to-house forms and signing off those that needed no further action. A lot of the residents were elderly people and she made some notes about the couple at number 40 Edgar House, where ADC Murray had spoken with Mrs Helen Clarke about garage 29. She wanted to speak to Mrs Clarke as there were some important questions Cam had failed to ask her. She read through the form the uniformed sergeant had completed regarding the woman who’d seen two men walking towards Felstead Road, and felt it was lacking in detail. Jane decided she should also visit this woman, who was called Rita Brown and lived at flat 14 Edgar House.

Katie walked up and dropped some statements on Jane’s desk.

‘When you’ve finished what you’re doing, would you check these for any further action or enquiries that need to be made and type them up,’ she said, before starting to walk off.

Jane called after her. ‘When I’ve finished what I’m doing I will be going over the house-to-house enquiries with DI Kingston and then revisiting some of the residents at Edgar House. I might have time to check the statements for further action, but I’m not an office typist.’

Katie started to say something, then, spotting DI Kingston coming out of Murphy’s office, she picked up the statements and called out to him.

‘Excuse me, sir, could I have a word with you?’

‘Not just now, Katie.’ He looked across the room. ‘Colonel, I need a word with you.’

The two men went into his office.