‘He’s out doing a recce on his target,’ said Guleed. ‘He managed to dig out floorplans on Zoopla, of all places, and now is checking to make sure he’ll have all the exits covered.’

‘Pays to be thorough,’ I said.

Guleed shrugged and I could see that she was going to push the Olivia issue again when I was saved by my phone ringing – it was Beverley.

‘You so owe me for this, babes,’ she said and gave me the details.

When she was finished I hung up and told Guleed. Who was not happy.

‘Just you?’ she said.

‘If you’re there, then it becomes sort of officially official,’ I said. ‘This might be our best chance to find out who supplied the drugs.’

‘And if it turns out to be Olivia Thames-MacAllister?’

‘Then at least we won’t be wasting our time looking for someone else.’

‘All right,’ she said. ‘But I’m sitting outside while you’re in there.’

So, back to Mayfair where the constant flow of money keeps the streets clean and free of unsightly poor people. It was just as well one of us was staying in the car, because we couldn’t find a legal parking space.

‘Be careful,’ said Guleed as I got out.

‘Hey, if I’m not back in an hour,’ I said, ‘call the President.’

Lady Ty met me at her front door and for once she wasn’t wearing a suit. Instead she wore a pair of jeans and a loose green Arran jumper. Her hair was wrapped in a faded green and gold African print scarf which meant that either she was between hair conditionings or she was reverting under stress – neither was a good omen.

Her gaze flicked over to Guleed and then back to me.

‘I see you’ve left the secret policeman’s daughter in the car,’ she said.

‘Ty,’ I said, ‘you’re better at sarcasm than I am – I concede. Whatever. Can we just get this done?’

The idea that I was more reluctant to meet up than she was threw her off long enough for me to get inside the house, and we were back in the kitchen where the wheels had come off the first time. Olivia was waiting for us in the same seat as before, but there was no caution this time, plus two or otherwise. This was off the books – I was not here, this never happened – the spice must flow.

Since she was sitting, I stayed standing – so did her mum.

‘We know about Phoebe,’ I said.

A little jerk of the head as Olivia tried to hide her reaction, not helped by having her mum ask, ‘What about Phoebe?’

I looked at Lady Ty, but made sure I could still see Olivia’s reaction.

‘Your husband George drives a blue BMW?’ I said and quoted the licence number.