By that point Grant already felt something of an outsider among the four. Francis may only have lived in the area for a couple of months but he clearly already had the attention of the other two men – both senior figures in the community, in their own ways. Grant couldn’t really figure how that had happened. Why did Francis have such a hold, other than because he was cocky and arrogant?

Wilander was an extrovert like Francis, Grant noticed, but Baxter was more measured – as Grant had found many senior police officers to be over the years. Baxter, in his fifties, Grant guessed, was a true silver fox with bright grey hair that sat somewhat uncomfortably with his tanned skin. Grant was sure Baxter was a ladies’ man. There was something about his look, and although he was reserved he was clearly full of confidence and self-importance. He didn’t wear a ring on his finger – probably divorced following a mid-life crisis that had involved him putting his penis into a much younger version of his wife.

Or perhaps that was just an unfair assumption by Grant, brought on by the fact he felt out of his depth with these confident men. Regardless, Grant felt wary around the senior officer, whose eyes were forever on the move as he weighed up the integrity of everyone and everything around him.

You can take the man out of the police, but you can’t take the police out of the man.

‘You two really should get together, you know,’ Francis said to Grant and Baxter as they walked along the fairway, as though he were an expert matchmaker.

‘I don’t know,’ Baxter said. ‘No offence, professor, but we’ve had your type in before.’

‘My type?’ Grant said, naturally offended.

‘No disrespect, but there’s a big difference between the theory and actually policing a murder investigation.’

‘I don’t doubt that for a second,’ Grant said. ‘But understanding the psychology of a killer can still be important in finding them.’

‘Yeah, you must have watched Cracker before, Bax?’ Francis added, as though it was a miraculous insight.

‘In my experience it’s not important at all,’ Baxter said. ‘Deranged serial killers don’t really exist in the real world. Not like you see on the telly all the time, anyway. They’re one in a million. Most homicides we deal with are far simpler than you see on Silent Witness. Gang violence. Domestics.’

‘You’re doing yourself an injustice there, mate,’ Francis said.

‘No, just telling it straight. But if we do find ourselves with a crazed multiple killer on our hands who leaves no trace of evidence, you’ll be the first to know, professor.’

‘I’m flattered,’ Grant said, trying his best to not sound agitated.