‘Are you saying we’ve got an epidemic, sir? Is this thing contagious?’

‘Not exactly. Well, you don’t catch it from other human beings.’

Reluctantly, Fry found her thoughts flicking back to the previous day. The smell of horses, the wet plop of something unspeakable hitting her shoes.

‘I’m liking the sound of it even less now.’

‘The infection is caused by eating raw or under-cooked meat, usually pork,’ said Hitchens. ‘The experts say cases have increased in recent years, generally blamed on Eastern Europe and the movement of migrant workers within the EU. There was a major outbreak in France, with more than four hundred people affected – traced to meat imported from Yugoslavia. Another case in Ireland, pork sausages brought in by Polish nationals. And the last outbreak of trichinosis here in the UK was in 1999 – eight Yugoslav immigrants. That was caused by salami from Serbia.’

Fry began to relax. ‘Luckily, I’m not a big fan of pork. But I can’t see the relevance of this to us, sir.’

‘Well . . . there’s been another outbreak here in the Midlands. The first in the UK for ten years. It’s not widespread, and they don’t want to cause panic. But the source of the infection might be relevant.’

‘It’s an Environmental Health job, surely? Them, or DEFRA. If somebody is selling infected pork meat they have the statutory powers to close businesses down and prosecute. They don’t need us.’

‘No, of course not. But some conscientious EHO must have been reading the bulletins. They made a connection to one of our current enquiries.’

‘Which current enquiry?’

‘Well, you put it together . . .’ Hitchens slid the file across the desk to her. ‘Historically, most outbreaks of trichinosis are caused by infected pork meat, but this one is different. The common factor among these victims is that they’ve been eating undercooked horse meat.’

Fry felt her stomach turn over. You didn’t have to be a fan of horses to have doubts about eating one. Very big doubts.

‘Horse meat? Isn’t that illegal here?’

‘Ah now, there you’re wrong,’ said Hitchens. ‘It isn’t illegal, just culturally unacceptable. I hear it’s very popular among our friends in France and Italy, and no doubt other countries.’

‘So what’s the problem?’

‘The problem,’ said Hitchens, ‘seems to be how this horse meat is sourced in the first place.’

‘What?’

Hitchens sighed. ‘This Rawson case gets more and more complicated. But let DC Cooper show you the film he was sent. The allegation seems to be that Patrick Rawson was obtaining horses to be sold for slaughter. When I say “obtaining”, we have to be open to the idea that some of the horses were stolen, or obtained by deception, don’t we?’

‘Yes, given his history. But, by slaughtered, you mean . . . ?’

‘For human consumption.’

‘Oh, god.’