In general, the jurisdiction of the most serious crime would prevail. Since Police Scotland had video evidence of a double murder being executed on board the MV Orlova and had apprehended the perpetrator while he was on Scottish soil, they should have precedence.

However, politics also played a role in all of this. Radcliff had been apprehended here in Glasgow because the Met had given them their intel that he was coming here.

‘Plus they believe they have evidence which links him to the death of Mark Sylvester.’

‘So he’s headed south?’ McNab asked the question they all wanted the answer to.

DI Wilson indicated that that would be the case.

‘Both Joe Hill and Steven Willis, however, will stand trial here in Glasgow,’ he told them. ‘And the most recent forensic evidence from Dr MacLeod and her team is, I believe, sufficient to have them both charged with kidnapping, assault and, in Joe Hill’s case, rape and murder.’

Janice was the one who now asked about Cleverly.

The news of his death, currently unsubstantiated, had been running through the station like wildfire since early that morning.

‘As you’re all aware, DI Cleverly had been picked up and was in custody pending an investigation into his conduct. After a call south by DCI Sutherland, I can now confirm that former DI Cleverly was found dead in his cell at 1.30 a.m. The cause of his death is as yet unknown.’

McNab wasn’t surprised by Cleverly’s demise. After all, if he’d reached court, his trial would have been damaging to the reputation of the Met, as well as anything he would have to say about those who’d made use of Go Wild.

Neither Nadia’s testimony nor Ava’s exposé held the same danger for the organization as the bent cop, who’d been working with them . . . for how long?

Thinking back to the Kalinin case, McNab wondered if Cleverly had been in the Russians’ pay even back then.

‘You were right about Cleverly all along,’ Janice said as they settled at their desks. ‘Sorry I didn’t believe you. I assume someone will tell Joe Hill about his father?’

That had been the really weird thing about the recorded interviews with Hill. He hadn’t seemed to have a clue about his link with the police inspector. Claimed never to have known his father.

McNab recalled his own feelings during the initial interview. Thinking how, when you finally got to meet a killer, it was always a let-down. Simply because the person who’d invaded your thoughts for so long invariably turned out to be ordinary.

Joe Hill had fallen into that mould.

Dark-haired, with a beard covering most of his face, only his eyes had been truly noticeable. McNab had tried to find Cleverly somewhere in those eyes . . . and couldn’t.