‘I’ll be in touch, Mr Clay,’ she said. ‘Perhaps quite soon.’

COOPER HAD FOUND himself invited inside number 6 Laurel Close. The resident was an elderly man, probably about eighty years old, but still reasonably upright and mobile, if a little slow. An old soldier, perhaps? Well, if that was case, it would soon come into the conversation.

Cooper had been prepared for residents in these bungalows to take a long time getting to their doors. He knew that stiff joints would have to be levered out of armchairs, walking frames grasped, hearing aids adjusted. And that was before they even got out of their sitting rooms. Then there would be chains on the doors, and his ID to be shown before anyone would talk to him.

All the precautions were justified, too. Laurel Close was the sort of area where distraction burglaries were most common, where opportunist thieves preyed on the elderly, keen to take advantage of their confusion, and their trusting natures.

He was able to hear movement from inside the bungalow for a few minutes before the door chain rattled and the face of the old man peered out.

‘Mr Wakeley?’

‘Aye.’

Cooper showed his warrant card, giving the old man time to scrutinize it carefully. Not so long ago, there had been several incidents of a thief posing as a police officer to gain access to properties just like this, with the intention of rifling the drawers for some OAP’s life savings as soon as their backs were turned.

‘You reported hearing a disturbance on Tuesday morning. Is that right, sir?’

‘Yes, that was me. Responsible citizen, I am.’

The old man laughed, and let Cooper into the bungalow, pointing the way through to a small sitting room. He waved his visitor ahead, and very slowly followed him into the room. He didn’t support himself on a stick or a frame, but moved as if he had all the time in the world, and no one was going to hurry him. Cooper was reminded of a giant Galapagos turtle he’d seen on a natural history programme, determinedly placing one foot in front of the other.

The sitting room was filled with too much furniture, and scattered with framed photographs of smiling family members. Biscuit crumbs lay on the carpet. Cooper could feel them crunching softly under his boots. Near the armchair he was given, the crumbs were thicker. He felt as though he ought to offer to do a bit of vacuuming while he was here.

‘Early in the morning, it was,’ said Mr Wakeley. ‘Folk having a row.’

Cooper felt a surge of interest. It was a small thing, and it might be irrelevant. But every detail should be followed up.

‘You heard people arguing? What time exactly, can you say?’