Half an hour later, they were sitting in a quiet booth in a dimly lit Indonesian restaurant. In the centre of the room, brightly illuminated under heat lamps, an extensive rice table buffet was laid out. But for now they were happy to sit with their drinks and unwind. Carol took a healthy swig of her gin and tonic and Petra raised her glass. ‘It’s been a pleasure working with you these past few days, Carol,’ she said. ‘I must admit, I had some very negative feelings about this operation, but you’ve reassured me.’

‘Why did you feel so negative about it? Did you think I wouldn’t be up to it?’

Toying with the stem of her margarita, Petra studied the liquid as it slid up and down the side of the glass. ‘That was part of it. But mostly it was because I felt we’d worked our guts out trying to nail Radecki and it wasn’t fair to take it away from us.’

‘I can understand that. I’d have felt exactly the same in your shoes. When you spend so long on a case, it feels very personal.’

Petra flicked a considering glance up at Carol. Then, coming to a decision, she leaned her elbows on the table and moved closer. ‘Was that how you felt about Jacko Vance? And before that, the Queer Killer in Bradfield?’

Carol’s relaxed expression was replaced instantly by wariness. ‘You’ve done your homework,’ she said, the distance in her voice shattering the intimacy they’d built in the past two days.

Petra held up her hands, palms out towards Carol, in a placatory gesture. ‘Of course I’ve done my homework. I wouldn’t be much of an intelligence officer if I hadn’t. But I didn’t bring up those cases out of some prurient curiosity. I have a genuine reason for mentioning them.’

Carol wasn’t so easily mollified. ‘I don’t talk about those cases,’ she said repressively. Talk about them? I try not to even think about them. I wish I didn’t dream about them either. She drank back the rest of her gin and signalled to the waitress for a refill.

‘That’s cool. I don’t want the gory details. I’m not some sensation seeker. But you are the only cop I’ve ever met who has so much experience in tracking down serial killers. And I need your advice.’

Carol wondered wearily if she would ever leave that part of her past behind her. She had thought she was coming to a place where all anybody would care about was her performance in the here and now. ‘Look, Petra, I’m not an expert. The first time, I just happened to be a CID officer in a city where a serial murderer was operating. And the second time was … well, I suppose you’d have to call it a favour to a friend.’