Guleed hadn’t been making much headway with Caroline – she claimed she’d been out shopping and had been minding her own business when Nightingale had physically overpowered her and falsely arrested her. She also denied ever meeting me and Lesley on the premises of County Gard the year before. Her lawyer was asking to see evidence that her client had been involved and if none was forthcoming etc., etc. Since the lawyer was working for the mother it was decided that Guleed would keep plugging away to keep daughter and brief pinned in place while I took a more robust approach with Lady Helena.

‘Meaning what?’ I asked.

‘Meaning, Peter,’ said Stephanopoulos, ‘that we want you to go in there and put your foot in it.’

As Guleed said – it’s always good to be playing to your strengths.

So back I went and sat down across from Lady Helena and said, ‘Okay, tell me – how long have you been practising magic?’

Judging from her long hesitation before answering, Lady Helena hadn’t been expecting that question. Which told me quite a lot. One thing being that she didn’t know who I was. In fact, she might not even know about the Folly – which meant that she wasn’t connected to the demi-monde, who definitely knew who we were.

Or she’d just remembered that she’d left the gas on.

‘When you say magic,’ she asked, ‘you mean what, exactly?’

‘The creation of physical effects through the casting of spells,’ I said.

‘My god, you’re serious,’ she said.

I have a nice low powered werelight that I can conjure in an interview room without blowing all the surveillance – you’d be amazed how often I have to use it. My latest refinement was to add a scindere forma so that I can park it over my shoulder and use it as a reading light.

When I started my apprenticeship it took me the better part of two months to learn how to cast a simple werelight – now I barely have to think about it. If you’re an experienced practitioner you can sense another practitioner in the initial stages of spell casting. The more experienced you are the more sensitive and the quicker your reaction.

Lady Helena reacted before I’d finished the metaphorical first syllable and, by the time my werelight hung over the coffee table between us, she knew that I knew and that she was well and truly busted.

‘So, it’s true then,’ she said. ‘The magical gestapo is alive and well.’

You go ahead and liken Nightingale to the gestapo, I thought, and see what that gets you.

‘I take it you’re a practitioner yourself,’ I said.

‘A practitioner,’ she said. ‘Is that what you’re calling yourself?’

I said it was the official term.